


Endlessly

by aryasnark



Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Dissidia: Final Fantasy, Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VIII, Kingdom Hearts
Genre: All kinds of different settings okay, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Drabble Collection, M/M, One Shot Collection, Short One Shot, Tumblr Prompt
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-04
Updated: 2018-08-28
Packaged: 2019-06-21 15:15:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 34
Words: 20,915
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15560577
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aryasnark/pseuds/aryasnark
Summary: Squall turned around expecting to find the doorway to the room empty as it had been the last time he checked, but to his shock, someone was standing there, smiling at him in amusement.Multiple one shots about Squall and Cloud, from canon to modern settings. Inspired by a tumblr drabble challenge.





	1. “How long have you been standing there?”

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cloud catches Squall doing something unusually embarrassing for the brunette.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Setting: Modern. High school, probably senior year. Cloud and Squall are the same age here.

Squall knew he had a reputation for being a bit on the stoic side. He wasn’t that quick to smile, and it wasn’t like he was the life of the party or anything. And for the most part, he preferred it that way. He wasn’t that social to begin with, and the less appealing he seemed, the better, really. But despite that, it didn’t mean that he never did anything funny or allowed himself to relax. He just preferred doing it when he was alone, that’s all.

So, as the brunette found himself alone in the locker room at the end of the school day, just having finished gym class, he found himself putting on his headphones and just singing along to the music as he moved around the locker room, gathering up his things, ready to leave for the night.

Somewhere along the way, he got caught up in the music and forgot about what he was even supposed to be doing. It wasn’t often he allowed himself to let loose like this, and it wasn’t even that he particularly liked singing. It was just one of those days, and he just in the mood. And besides, no one was watching.

Or so he thought.

After about the third song or so, Squall turned around expecting to find the doorway to the room empty as it had been the last time he checked, but to his shock, someone was standing there, smiling at him in amusement.

That someone happened to be Cloud Strife, a classmate of his. The two of them didn’t really hang out in the same circles, but they knew of each other. And while Squall didn’t particularly like Cloud (to be fair, Squall didn’t really like many people), until this moment, he hadn’t hated him.

Yeah, _until_ this moment.

  
Squall quickly removed his headphones, his cheeks bright red as he watched the other. Cloud had a bright smile on his face, and he looked like he was resisting the urge to burst into laughter.

“How long have you been standing there?”

“For about two songs,” Cloud replied, his voice a little breathless from trying not to laugh. “You really don’t have much of a singing voice.”

Squall flushed a deeper shade of red, trying to resist the urge to punch the other. “Well, I thought I was alone.”

“Still better than Zack’s singing, that’s for sure,” Cloud murmured, walking further into the locker room and grabbing a bag that had been left on the bench. “I forgot this earlier.”

Squall cursed his carelessness. He should have noticed that someone had left their bag, and would most likely come back for it.

“Right.”

Cloud turned to look at him once more, his blue eyes seeming especially bright tonight. Or was Squall just imagining it?

“Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone or anything like that,” the blonde headed towards the exit once more, but this time, he stopped in his tracks by the door, turning once again to face Squall.

“It’s getting late. Do you need a ride home?”

Squall usually took the bus, and he knew Cloud rode this insane motorcycle. He was half in mind to decline, but the way Cloud was looking at him made him feel like, if he would let this opportunity pass him by, he’d regret it forever.

“Alright.”

“I’d say you can keep singing in the car, but it’s not a car, so,” Cloud murmured as he was already halfway out the door. Despite his neutral voice, Squall could practically sense the way the other was still grinning about earlier.

“Shut up,” Squall groaned, but found himself following the other anyway.


	2. “Who gave you that black eye?”

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Squall finds Cloud beaten up, and offers to help.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Setting: FFVII!verse, Cloud's around 10, Squall's around 8.

Cloud was used to this. He knew it was partly his own fault. Tifa said that he was always looking for a fight, and maybe that was true. But in his defense, he wasn’t just going to let the other kids mock him without retaliating in any way. 

It had been the same as it always was. The boys who were a few years older had cornered him, calling him names, making fun of him for being smaller than the others, and for not having friends. And Cloud had reacted as he always did. He’d kicked one of the boys, and then shoved the other. But this time, he had miscalculated. There were five of them, and despite his aggression, Cloud couldn’t take them all on. So, he’d ended up getting his ass kicked.

He couldn’t go home. Not yet. His mother would probably burst into tears, and he couldn’t have that. So he just sat down on a bench in a more secluded part of town, trying to ignore the urge to rub his eye. He knew he was getting a black eye. Wouldn’t be the first time.

Cloud had bruises everywhere, basically, but the face was always the worst, because that he couldn’t hide from anyone. 

“Here,” he looked up to see a boy with brown hair and grey eyes looking down at him, holding a bottle of potion in his hand. “You look like you need it.”

Cloud frowned. He didn’t know who this boy was. For all he knew, this could be a prank, or something to lure him into getting his ass kicked again.

“I’m good.”

“You’re not,” the brunette tossed the bottle at Cloud, which he caught instinctively. It would be a shame to waste it, after all. 

Cloud eyed the brunette suspiciously, but after a few moments of silence, he opened the bottle and took a sip. He felt better instantly.

“Who gave you that black eye?” The boy didn’t sound particularly interested, but he wasn’t leaving, either. He had sat on the other side of the bench, as far away from Cloud as possible without actually falling off.

“Just some kids from around my neighborhood. No big deal,” Cloud finished the bottle, placing it between them. He could feel the bruise starting to fade away, along with his other wounds.

“I’ve seen you before. You get into a lot of fights,” the brunette said, once again, not sounding interested, or disinterested. He was just stating facts.

Cloud wanted to argue, to explain that he had to defend himself when being bullied. But he knew the other probably wouldn’t care. “I guess.”

“It’d be easier to fight if you had someone to help you.”

Cloud couldn’t argue with that, but he didn’t say anything. He really didn’t have any close friends. Tifa, sure, but they didn’t hang out very often. She was more popular than he was. And he didn’t want to drag her into this.

He finally allowed himself to turn to look at his companion, finding that the brunette was already looking at him. “I’m Squall.”

“Cloud.”

Neither said anything after that, but from that moment on, Cloud never had to face his bullies alone. And silently, he was grateful for that.


	3. “I just like proving you wrong.”

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leon bets Cloud can't kill 1,000 heartless as fast as Sora could.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Setting: Kingdom Hearts II, probably post-game.

“This is ridiculous,” Leon murmured, glaring at his boyfriend, who was looking down at the sea of heartless below them. Despite all of Sora’s help, Radiant Garden still had a problem with heartless and nobodies, and the Restoration Committee worked endlessly to remedy that. Cloud wasn’t officially a part of the committee, but since he was dating the head of the committee, he as good as was. Despite that, what he was about to do had nothing to do with the Restoration Committee. It did, however, have everything to do with Leon.

Cloud smirked. “Your fault. And besides, I just like proving you wrong.”

“I was joking, Cloud. Come on, don’t be an idiot,” Leon tried to grab onto the blonde’s arm, but he pulled away just in time, and without a word, jumped down to the sea of heartless, and started striking them down, one by one.

Leon rolled his eyes, but with reluctance, he glanced at his watch. He and Cloud had been talking about how well Sora had performed during the battle for Hollow Bastion, and how it has taken him about 5 minutes to get rid of 1,000 heartless. And, in his foolishness, Leon had turned to Cloud and said:

_“I bet even you couldn’t top that.”_

And here they were, with Leon watching the time as Cloud struck down heartless after heartless, probably counting them as he did. He was supposed to stop when he got to 1,000, and then they’d see which one of them was strong. The Keyblade’s chosen one, or a very stubborn, blonde asshole.

Despite his annoyance, Leon couldn’t help but feel a little bit impressed as he watched his boyfriend cut down heartless after heartless with each relentless strike of his blade. Leon knew from the moment Cloud jumped down that he was going to beat Sora’s score. And then Leon would never hear the end of it.

When Cloud jumped back up (how did that man jump so high with such ease?), it had been barely 4 minutes.

“Well?” he asked, the same smirk still on his face. Leon had to admit, he did look pretty attractive like this, his cheeks flushed, his hair a bit of a mess, all out of breath.

Leon opened his mouth to speak, and instead just shook his head, beginning his walk back into town.

“Hey!” Cloud rushed after him. “You know I beat the score, right? By how much?”

“I hate you.”

“30 seconds? 60 seconds?”

“I want to break up.”

Cloud simply smirked, wrapping an arm around his boyfriend’s shoulder. “Next time, we’ll time you.”

“And if I win?”

“Then, I suppose I’ll have to come up with a prize for you,” the blonde gave him one last smile before removing his arm from the other’s shoulder, making his way back into town with a casual stroll.

Leon just watched him go, momentarily speechless. He was going to have to call Sora up for some tips, then. He was not losing that score.


	4. “Everyone keeps telling me you’re the bad guy.”

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leon encounters a mysterious stranger with a bad reputation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Setting: Kingdom Hearts-verse, except here Cloud isn't from Radiant Garden and doesn't know the rest of the crew. 
> 
> P.S. Yes, Sora lost the fight against Cloud here, because it's the more likely scenario unless you've been grinding a lot, and it's even what happens in the manga. Yep yep.

Leon watched the other from a distance, his eyes narrowing as he observed the way the blonde fought. He was notorious around the Coliseum for being ruthless, and just generally stronger than most opponents. And when he got really dangerous, they said a black wing even grew out of his back. Leon was yet to see this, but he wouldn’t be surprised.

He didn’t know why he was even watching the stranger. He didn’t know anything about him other than his name, and the fact that he was obviously a very good fighter. He could also remember Phil warning him about him.

_“You see that guy with the red scarf? He’s bad news, so be careful if you’re up against him. He might just prove too tough to handle.”_

Even Hercules had said something similar, and from what Leon could tell from the match listings, Sora had fought him, too, and lost.

By all accounts, Leon should have just stayed away. But as the blonde’s final match ended, and he took a seat on the steps, the brunette found himself walking over to him.

Cloud glanced up, not saying anything. Perhaps he was expecting Leon to ask him to fight. The way he was clutching his sword certainly seemed to suggest as much.

“You’re pretty good out there,” Leon found himself saying. What was he doing? He was never one to initiate conversation, especially with strangers.

The blonde frowned at him for a moment before finally speaking, his voice surprisingly quiet. “Thanks.” He buried his face deeper in his red scarf, avoiding eye contact with the brunette.

For a moment Leon was half in mind to just walk off, since the other clearly didn’t want to talk, but before he could do that, or anything else, Cloud spoke:

“You look worried.”

Leon opened his mouth, half in mind to just brush it off, but as he looked into the other’s blue eyes, he saw something there that he hadn’t expected to find. Loneliness. Maybe he just wanted someone to talk to.

“Well, I… everyone keeps telling me you’re the bad guy.” It was the truth, after all, and Leon was nothing if not honest.

Cloud nodded, his eyes on his sword, mindlessly grabbing onto the bandages wrapped around it. “Maybe I am.”

Leon inspected the blonde in silence for a moment, and without thinking about it much, he sat next to him. “I don’t think so.”

When Cloud said nothing else, Leon just settled on sitting there with the other for a while, until eventually the two got to talking, and Leon became even more convinced:

Cloud was not a bad guy, and he was very glad he’d taken the chance to talk to him.

A bit later, after the two had agreed that they would start sparring together, and fighting together in the tournaments, Leon decided once and for all that he would never listen to anyone else’s advice ever again.


	5. “Forget it. You fucking suck.”

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Squall is mad at Cloud, and he has no idea why.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Setting: Modern, high school. They're probably the same age.

Cloud had no idea why they were even arguing. He hated this. He hated fighting, he hated confrontation. And he especially hated it when it was with his best friend, Squall Leonhart.

The two of them had gotten into a fight that afternoon as soon as school had finished. Squall had appeared to be in a bad mood as soon as he’d walked through the school doors, but he wouldn’t explain why. He never really did. And when Cloud had tried to ask, Squall had just brushed him off, as always.

“Have I done something? If I have, stop being a drama queen and just fucking tell me!” Cloud snapped as he half-walked, half-ran after his friend. It was unfair that Squall was taller than him, especially in situations like these.

They always walked home together, but today it seemed like Squall would rather run than walk with Cloud.

“Whatever,” Squall murmured, not surprising Cloud even in the slightest with his signature response.

“Squall!” Cloud finally caught up and grabbed the other by his leather jacket, pulling him closer. “What the fuck did I do?!”

“Nothing! Stop pushing it!” Squall snapped, shoving the blonde away, and for the first time, Cloud saw hurt in the other’s eyes. So, he had done something. He just didn’t know what.

“You’re my best friend.”

“Doesn’t mean I have to tell you everything. so, just piss off,” Squall grunted, turning away without another word. Squall could get like this sometimes. So detached and evasive. And Cloud always hated it. But it had never been this bad.

“Forget it,” he murmured. “You fucking suck, you know that?” Cloud walked past him, or he tried to. But just as he thought that he’d be out of the brunette’s radar for the day, he felt a strong hand grab onto his arm, and pull him back.

Cloud turned, expecting something, anything. And to his surprise, Squall looked nervous.

“I just… Tifa told me the two of you were going to the school dance together this weekend.”

Cloud blinked. It took him a few seconds to even understand what Squall was saying, let alone comprehend why he was saying it. “Yeah… as friends. Neither of us wanted to go around looking for actual dates.”

Squall seemed a bit confused by this revelation, with the way his cheeks flushed and his hand lost some of its grip on his arm. “Oh.”

“Why would you care either way?” Cloud asked, though a part of him already knew. Or, he hoped he knew.

Squall let out a frustrated breath before cupping the blonde’s face in his hands. “Why do you think, idiot?” and without a word, he leaned closer and pressed his lips against Cloud’s. Only for a second or two, but it was more than enough to make his intent clear.

Cloud stared, too shocked to say anything for a moment. And when he finally spoke, he has a hard time forming the actual words:

“Do, uh, do you… want to go to the school dance with me?”

“What about Tifa?” Squall asked, his hand still on Cloud’s cheek, stroking it with his thumb mindlessly. He has a small smile playing across his lips, which was a rare, gorgeous sight to see.

“She won’t mind.”

Squall seemed to accept the answer, and pulled the other a bit closer, pressing their foreheads together. “Will we be going as friends?”

The noise Cloud let out was one that could only be described as a whimper, and he was not proud of it. “Definitely not as friends.”

“Good,” and with that, Squall kissed him again, and there was no more arguing.


	6. “If you use up all the hot water again, I swear to god! You’re on the couch for a month!!”

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cloud uses up all the hot water, and Squall is not happy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Setting: Modern AU.

Squall knew that he shouldn’t get annoyed by little things like these. And usually, he didn’t. But it was the third time this month that he’d gone to take a shower only to find that all the hot water was gone. And since he only lived with one other person, he knew exactly who to blame.

“Cloud,” the brunette tried to sound as reasonable as possible as he made his way to the living room, naked except for a towel around his waist. Cloud was sitting on the couch, reading a book. He glanced up at his boyfriend, eyeing him up and down.

“Squall,” he said, his voice neutral, but his gaze drifting to where it definitely didn’t need to be right now.

“If you use up all the hot water again, I swear to god-” Squall paused. Cloud still wasn’t looking him in the eye. Was his body really this distracting? “Are you listening to me?”

“If I use up all the hot water again, what?” Cloud met his eyes, a hint of amusement in them as he stared the brunette down. 

Squall cleared his throat. “You’re on the couch for a month. That’s what.”

Cloud’s mouth twitched, as if he really had an urge to smile, but resisted it. He stood up without a word, walking over to Squall, all the while staring at him right in the eye. “Really?”

“Really,” Squall spat out, glaring down at the blonde. “Do you know how shitty it feels to jump in the shower and not be able to stay inside for more than half a minute before the water turns ice cold? No, of course you don’t, because I never use all the water, unlike you.”

Cloud nodded slowly. Squall knew that despite the way Cloud didn’t seem to be paying attention, he was hearing every word. “I’m sorry,” he said, his voice low as he wrapped his arms around Squall’s waist, looking him in the eye once more. “I won’t do it again.”

Squall was about to argue, but then realized what Cloud had actually said. “You won’t?”

“No. Wouldn’t wanna make you angry,” the blonde’s mouth twitched once more, indicating that he didn’t find angry Squall as unappealing as his words made it seem like he did. “But, I was thinking…”

“Yeah?” Squall asked, getting a bit distracted himself as he felt the other’s grip tighten around his waist.

“We should probably start taking showers together, then. To make sure neither one uses up the hot water.”

“That…. is a solid plan,” Squall cleared his throat, trying to think of something clever to say, or remember why he was even angry in the first place, but the next thing he knew, Cloud had removed the towel from around his waist, and claimed his lips in a rather heated kiss. And soon enough, the prospect of a cold shower didn’t feel like that big of a deal anymore.


	7. “Looks like we’re gonna be stuck here for a while.”

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cloud and Leon get stuck alone in Ansem's study.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Setting: Kingdom Hearts-verse, KHII.

Cloud was not having a good day, not even in the slightest. When he had agreed to help Leon fix up Ansem’s study, he hadn’t meant this.

Getting stuck inside the office for the better part of 5 hours. 

The two of them had been cleaning around the place for about a half an hour when they heard the crash. The two of them rushed to the doorway to inspect it, and fair enough, it seemed like half the hallway leading up to Ansem’s study - and out of the building - had collapsed. It made sense. The building was old, and it had been their goal to restore the hallways next.

They had gotten in touch with Cid through Tron, and he’d promised to send help. In fact, they could hear Tifa, Yuffie and Aerith bickering somewhere on the other side of the rubble as they worked to help them out. But since there was no immediate danger, no one was in a hurry.

But for the two stoic, quiet men, this was their worst nightmare.

Cloud was leaning against the wall, watching as Leon paced around, occasionally shouting something to the crew, and listening to their responses. The brunette seemed even more on edge than he was.

“Relax,” Cloud finally murmured. “We’ll get out when we get out.”

Leon spun around to glare at him. “I know that. But this is a waste of time.”

Cloud resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Instead, he just closed them instead, trying to relax. He knew he and Leon had nothing to talk about. Despite being on friendly terms, neither was well-equipped to make small talk for hours.

“Leon!” they heard Cid’s voice as the older man yelled at them through the rubble. “We’re gonna need a few more tools, so just sit tight. We’ll be back!” 

Leon buried his head in his hands. “Why not just ask Merlin to move the rubble?”

Cloud chuckled dryly. “Maybe he doesn’t wanna help. Probably thinks some manual labor would be good for Cid.”

“And we have to suffer for it?” Leon took a seat on the desk, which used to belong to Ansem the Wise himself. He glanced at Cloud, and the way he was looking at the blonde annoyed him.

“What?”

“You’re just… awfully calm,” Leon murmured. He turned his eyes back to his hands, tugging at his gloves.

“We’ll get out eventually. Unless we die, of course,” Cloud said quietly, watching as Leon rolled his eyes. He was definitely not in a joking mood, then. “Looks like we’re gonna be stuck here for a while longer. Why don’t you just relax?”

“Easier said than done,” Leon murmured, stubborn as ever. He placed his hands on the desk, closing his eyes and attempting to breathe in and out. His attempts at relaxing were laughable at best.

Cloud stood up, walking over to the brunette and standing right in front of him, tilting his head to look over the other’s face. He was rather handsome, now that Cloud took the time to think about it.

Leon finally opened his eyes, and frowned at how close Cloud was standing. “What?” he asked, his voice sounding a little bit weaker than he’d hoped.

“If you stay put, and don’t say anything, I can help you relax,” Cloud said simply, placing his hands on the other’s knees, making his intent perfectly clear.

He expected Leon to reject him, or to get awfully flustered. But to his surprise, all the brunette did was nod. “Okay.”

“Okay,” Cloud agreed, getting on his knees and getting to work with Leon’s belts.

It was safe to say that the rest of the wait flew by a lot quicker than either had originally anticipated.


	8. “Take. It. Off.”

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leon is eager. Cloud is a tease.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Setting: Kingdom Hearts-verse, probably post-KHII.

Cloud did love it when Leon got a little bit frustrated with him. It made him open up a bit and become less reserved. The way those grey eyes would stare at him, silently begging, and the way he would try his hardest not to let his voice shake… all things that Cloud adored.

So, when he knew his boyfriend was in a particular mood, it was always fun to tease him, just a little bit. Cloud tilted his head, watching as Leon lay on the bed, naked except for his boxers. The two of them had been caught in a rather heated make-out session only minutes before, until Cloud had broken it off and moved over to stand by the bed, still fully clothed.

“What are you doing?” To his credit, Leon’s voice wasn’t shaking, yet.

“Nothing. Watching you,” the blonde smiled, circling the bed as casually as one could be, eyeing his lover. In truth, Cloud was very much in the mood, too, but he was going to keep some restraint for a few minutes longer. It was worth it to see Leon like this.

“Get over here,” Leon tried to reach for his boyfriend, but Cloud moved aside just in time.

“Not yet,” as Cloud watched the other, he moved to remove his sleeveless, knitted sweater, tossing it onto the floor, enjoying the way Leon’s eyes lit up at the sight of him bare-chested. In the process, he kicked off his shoes, too, followed by his socks. But not the pants.

“Asshole,” Leon murmured, sitting up on the bed properly to grab onto the other’s arm. “I didn’t wait all day for a strip tease.”

“I wasn’t aware you were waiting for anything all day long. I’m flattered,” Cloud leaned a bit closer, his lips ghosting against the other’s. Just as he was about to relinquish control, he heard the doorbell ring. Something he hadn’t anticipated.

The two locked eyes, and the way Leon was looking at him made the blonde smile. “I’ll be right back,” he grabbed the first item of clothing he could find, which happened to be Leon’s white t-shirt. He quickly placed it on, ignoring Leon’s protests as he walked down the stairs. 

“Hey!” he wasn’t surprised to find Aerith on the other side. She was always one to check up on her friends. “I was about to make some pie, would you and Leon want any?”

“No, thanks,” Cloud smiled, glancing back up. “We’re kinda busy right now.”

Aerith eyed him up and down, a knowing smile on her face. “Yeah, I’ll bet.”

“See ya,” Cloud quickly closed the door, rushing up the stairs. If he were honest with himself, he would admit that he was craving it just about as much as Leon was. But he liked to pretend otherwise.

“It was Aer-”

As soon as Cloud entered the room, he found himself pushed against the wall, and being attacked with passionate kisses and aggressive hands pulling his pants down.

Cloud chuckled in between kisses, raking his hands through the other’s soft hair. “Eager?”

“Shut up,” Leon started placing hot, open-mouthed kisses on his neck, making Cloud moan despite himself. “And this,” he paused, grabbing onto the white t-shirt the blonde was still wearing.

Cloud met the other’s eyes and practically groaned at how much lust he could see in the other’s expression.

“Take. It. Off.”

Cloud found that it was a command he could not refuse.


	9. “Well, you’re coming home with me whether you like it or not.”

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leon is determined to take Cloud back to Hollow Bastion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Setting: KH-verse. End of Kingdom Hearts I.

Cloud narrowed his eyes as he saw a familiar figure approaching him across the Coliseum. He had anticipated something like this, but still, he wasn’t happy to see Squall again. Not if he was here for the reason he thought he was. The tournaments were over, and upon leaving, Squall had said that he would come back when it was safe to go home.

 _Home._ Cloud didn’t even feel like he had one anymore. What would be the point in going back?

“Cloud,” the brunette reached him, looking a bit hesitant as he stood in front of the shorter blonde.

“Squall.”

“It’s Leon,” the other corrected, just like he did every time Cloud said the wrong name. He did it on purpose. He found Squall’s knee-jerk reaction a bit amusing.

“What do you want?” Cloud ignored the comment, shifting from one foot to the other. He didn’t want to go. Not until he found Zack, or until he got rid of his darkness for good. Neither task was even close to being completed. How could he face them all like this?

“We can go home. Sora did it, he defeated Ansem. We can go back to Hollow Bastion,” Squall sounded excited, or as excited as the stoic brunette could be.

“I’m not going home. I told you that,” Cloud murmured, and he was about to walk away when Squall spoke:

“Aerith says to come home. So does Cid, and Yuffie. We all miss you.”

Cloud closed his eyes, breathing through his nose. How could they miss him? They hadn’t seen him in years. He was barely even the same person anymore.

“What, even you?”

“Even me,” Squall confirmed, the other’s voice sounding slightly awkward. “ _Especially_ me.”

Cloud turned around at the words, raising his eyebrows. He waited for an explanation, but he didn’t get one. Just as he’d expect from Squall… from Leon.

“Are you gonna just stick around and wait for me to change my mind?” it sounded like something the brunette would do. He had always been stubborn.

“Well, Cloud, you're coming home with me whether you like it or not. Tonight,” Squall said, the look on his face filled with determination.

“And if I don’t?”

“Then I’m gonna have to use a sleeping spell on you and carry you back,” Squall crossed his arms. Someone else might think he was joking, but Cloud knew the other well enough.

“Shouldn’t have revealed your plan to me like that.”

“I have a feeling I won’t need it,” Squall stepped a bit closer, offering his hand to the other. “Come home, Cloud. You don’t belong here.”

Somehow, that was what did it. The genuine, earnest way in which his childhood friend spoke those words. Or perhaps it was the hand he was offering. Or the look in his eyes. Whatever it was, Cloud found himself taking the other’s offered hand, and nodding. It was all he could do for now. Maybe eventually he would actually believe Leon, and feel at home amongst his friends once more. For now, he would just have to try.


	10. “I’ll kick his ass if you want me to.”

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cloud's in a sticky situation at work, and Squall's more than willing to help.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Setting: Modern AU.

Squall hated seeing Cloud like this. He hated seeing the usually calm and collected blonde look so uncomfortable in his own skin. And it happened every single time he had to spend time with Sephiroth.

It was a messy situation. Cloud and his best friend, Zack, were both working as bodyguards at a company called Shinra, and they were doing very well for themselves. Except for the fact that one of the more highly paid, more respected employees, Sephiroth, had taken a liking to Cloud. And whenever he could, he would try to strike up a conversation with Cloud. A conversation that often included some form of unwanted touching.

Cloud had considered reporting it, but he needed the money, and Sephiroth was a very powerful figure. He knew he was more likely to get fired than for Sephiroth to stop behaving the way he did.

Squall, being Cloud’s boyfriend, of course knew all about this. And he hated everything about it. He hated watching his lover go to work every day, dreading the day. And he hated watching him come home, looking utterly uncomfortable.

“I’ll kick his ass if you want me to,” Squall murmured as he ran a hand through Cloud’s hair. They were sitting on the couch, Cloud trying to focus on whatever was on TV, while Squall focused entirely on Cloud.

Squall watched his lover, frowning a bit at how hopeless the other looked.

“Thanks,” he finally said, turning a bit to give the brunette a small smile. “But I don’t think it’s as simple as that.”

“I know, I just… I hate seeing you like this. I hate him.”

“So do I,” Cloud murmured. He closed his eyes. “Zack says I should just quit.”

“Then do it! What’s stopping you?!” Squall knew exactly what was stopping him, but he was determined to have this conversation until the blonde finally did quit.

“Money, Squall,” the answer was predictable. “I need money. Unless you want me to be homeless.”

The suggestion had been on Squall’s tongue for weeks now, but it seemed like the perfect opportunity to bring it up. Especially if it would be a deal-breaker in Cloud’s happiness. “Move in with me.”

Cloud turned, now facing his boyfriend fully. His bright blue eyes had gone wide, and to Squall, he looked positively adorable.

“ _What?_ ”

His confusion was understandable. Neither one of them were particularly affectionate, and they had only been dating for about 2 months. But Squall knew that he wanted to spend his life with Cloud. Why not start now, especially if it’d protect him?

“Move in with me. My apartment’s big enough. At least until you find another job,” Squall touched the other’s cheek, smiling. “Come on.” He wanted Cloud to say yes, desperately. And the reason had barely anything to do with Sephiroth.

“I don’t want to impose-”

“You’re not imposing, I’m the one who suggested it,” Squall countered. He had a counter-argument for anything Cloud might throw his way. “ _Come on_ ”, he said again.

He watched as his boyfriend simply sat there for a while, clearly thinking it over. But he knew the second the blonde had made up his mind, for that was when he smiled, and it was the most beautiful smile Squall had ever seen.

“Alright.”

Squall let out a breath of relief, leaning closer to seal their lips together in a kiss.

Still, since Cloud was going to quit, there was nothing stopping Squall from kicking Sephiroth’s ass anyway, right?


	11. “You’re still mad?”

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cloud kissed Squall in front of the whole Garden. He doesn't see why it's such a big deal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Setting: A mix of FFVII and FFVIII, set in a world that includes both games' storylines. Post-game for both.

Cloud hated confrontation. He hated arguing, and he hated when people lectured him about things that he’d done wrong, or the things he was doing wrong. Any of that, all of that, he tried to avoid at all costs.

But somehow, when it came to his boyfriend, Squall, it wasn’t as easy to just ignore it. He knew this boyfriend was an important person with a lot of duties. He was the leader of a large group of mercenaries, after all. He had a lot of responsibilities. And well, the fact that he was dating a member of a group that could practically be branded as being eco-terrorists, well… it couldn’t have been easy on the man.

But whenever Cloud came to visit, he expected Squall to be at least a little bit responsive. But now, as he sat in the armchair opposite Squall, who was busying himself with some paperwork. He had eventually taken over Cid Kramer’s office, though he had been reluctant to do so. Cloud felt that it suited the brunette. He was a good leader, and took his position seriously without letting it get to his head.

“You’re still mad? Seriously?” Cloud finally spoke up. He could only assume so, considering that Squall hadn’t reacted in any way whatsoever upon Cloud’s entrance. They hadn’t seen each other for two weeks.

The last time Cloud had visited the Garden, he had pissed Squall off quite a bit. He hadn’t originally meant to, but he had. And he hadn’t really… apologized. Not very sincerely, anyway.

It was not common knowledge around the Garden that Squall was gay, or that he was dating Cloud. Or dating anyone, for that matter. Every time Cloud visited, he had been introduced as a childhood friend. And that was fine. But last time, Cloud had joined Squall and his closest friends for an evening of drinks and conversation, and he and Selphie had both ended up rather drunk.

So, when Selphie had dared him to kiss Squall inside the crowded cafeteria (which served as a bar during the evenings), a rather intoxicated Cloud had found nothing wrong with that. He’d leaned across the table and kissed Squall with all his might. In front of everyone. Of course, half the people who had been there to witness the kiss were so drunk themselves that they either didn’t care, missed it, or thought they’d imagined it. Still…

The look on Squall’s face had been one of murder back then, and fair enough, it still was.

“Take a guess,” Squall hissed, finally looking up from his papers. “That was the one rule we had, Cloud. We weren’t supposed to tell anyone, and you weren’t supposed to do anything like that.”

“I was drunk,” Cloud defended himself the same way he had done two weeks ago. “For fuck’s sake, Squall, it’s not like anyone cared!”

“People cared. And even if they didn’t, it was still unprofessional. I’m supposed to be the leader here.”

“Then don’t go drinking with your friends, _leader_ ,” Cloud spat out. “And don’t invite your boyfriend to stay over.”

“Well, it seems like my boyfriend feels comfortable enough to come even when uninvited.” Squall was obviously referring to this very day.

Cloud’s eyes narrowed. “I think you’re taking this too seriously.”

“And you’re not taking it seriously enough. It’s bad enough that I was seen kissing someone, especially a guy. But to have it be someone who…”

Cloud raised his eyebrows, daring the other to go on. “Someone who _what,_ Squall?”

“Whatever,” the other stood up, some papers in hand. “I have to go take these to Quistis. You can go find Selphie, maybe she’ll want to get hammered again.”

“For fuck’s sake,” Cloud hissed, standing up and grabbing the other by one of his belts, shoving him against the wall. The papers fell all over the place, but neither particularly cared. “Okay, you want me to apologize? Fine. I’m sorry I kissed you. I was drunk. I wouldn’t have done that if I hadn’t been. But you know that. I don’t think that’s the problem.”

“What else would possibly be the problem?” Squall groaned, trying to get out of the other’s grip. But to be fair, he wasn’t trying that hard.

“Maybe you don’t want word getting out that you’re dating a lowly for-hire mercenary-”

“Cloud, you’re an eco-terrorist. AVALANCHE is-”

“I _know_ you’re embarrassed of me. I know you wouldn’t care if it was some other guy. You just care that it was me,” Cloud snapped, letting go of the other, moving away. “You’re embarrassed.” He shrugged. “Why wouldn’t you be? I didn’t even make it into SOLDIER. I’m clearly not quite in your league.”

Squall blinked, staring at his boyfriend, his mouth wide open. Cloud never spoke of himself like this, not in front of Squall. “Cloud-”

“Never mind,” the blonde walked over to where he had been sitting, grabbing his bag and heading for the door. “Sorry I came by. Won’t happen again.” He walked out the door, slamming it shut as he stormed off.

Cloud walked to the elevator, making his way to the first floor. He was so furious at Squall, and even more furious at himself for being stupid enough to come.

“Cloud!” He was more than surprised when he heard the brunette shout his name, especially in the crowded entry hall of the Garden. He turned around slowly, stopping in his own surprise.

He watched suspiciously as the taller man rushed over to him, somewhat out of breath. Everyone was looking at them. Cloud wasn’t going to embarrass him again.

“I have nothing more to discuss with you, Commander Leonhart. I’ll see myself out-” His words were interrupted by Squall, who grabbed him by the front of his shirt until their lips were almost touching.

“Shut the fuck up,” was all the brunette said before kissing Cloud, in front of everyone, without a care in the world. And it was more than just a light peck. In fact, it was one of the most passionate kisses Squall had ever initiated. Not that Cloud was complaining.

When they pulled away, Squall was smiling. “I’m not embarrassed of you, asshole. I just don’t like public displays of affection.”

“C-Clearly,” Cloud was still having trouble catching his breath. “You know everyone’s watching, right?”

“Then we better give them something worth looking at,” as Squall pressed their lips together once more, Cloud found himself smiling into the kiss.


	12. “Come over here and make me.”

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zidane, Tidus, Bartz and Vaan steal Squall's jacket. Cloud intervenes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Setting: Dissidia NT.

There were certain things Squall liked about being back with his comrades, even if they weren’t helping Cosmos anymore. He liked the thrill of the battles. He liked having interesting, rather few-worded conversations with people like Lightning and Cloud, and he liked the fact that he was in a group of like-minded people who had all gone through different trials, and all persevered. It gave him some sort of hope for the future. Even with Ultimecia here.

But what he didn’t like was when the more hyper members of his team tried to pull him into their shenanigans. Sort of like Zell and Selphie sometimes did, but even… _louder._

That morning, Squall woke up to the sound of Zidane, Vaan, Tidus and Bartz laughing. About what, he didn’t want to know.

“Squall! Look at me!” he could hear Zidane’s voice, but he had absolutely no interest in looking at the younger man under any circumstance.

He really wished Materia could have at least given them bedrooms with locks on the doors. Then again, Vaan and Zidane were both thieves. They could probably pick any lock with ease.

“ _Squaaallll,_ ” Zidane whined, and finally, Squall opened his eyes. And they immediately went wide at the sight of Zidane wearing his leather jacket. Judging by the looks on their faces, they had all tried it on. “Don’t I look cool?”

“What the hell are you doing?” Squall sat up on the bed, rubbing his eyes. “Why are you wearing my jacket?”

“We just wanted to try it on,” Vaan smiled. “Come on, I haven’t had a go yet!”

“No!” Zidane moved away. He moved towards the door while still glaring at his friend, accidentally bumping into someone else’s chest.

They turned around to see Cloud watching them, looking slightly amused. He didn’t look quite ready for the day either, his sword-straps and his single sleeve still missing from his regular attire, as well as his gloves.

“Cloud! Don’t I look good?” Zidane smirked, earning a snort from Tidus.

“You don’t look _that_ good, man. Let it go.”

“Can I see that for a minute?” Cloud extended his hand, and Zidane smirked, thinking that the usually stoic blonde would be joining in on their game.

“Sure!”

Cloud grabbed the leather jacket, and then gestured at the door. “Stop tormenting Squall before he kills you.”

“Oh, come _on_!” Bartz whined. “We’re not tormenting him, he loves us!”

“He wants to love you from afar,” Cloud said, as calmly as ever. Squall watched with half amusement, half amazement as his friend somehow managed to tame the four hooligans. “I hear Firion’s made pancakes.”

“Pancakes!” Tidus was the first one out the door, soon followed by the other three.

“So…,” Squall looked at the blonde, still sitting on the bed, shirtless, wearing his pajama pants. “Is Firion really making pancakes?”

“No, but he’s probably about to, knowing those four,” Cloud looked over the jacket, running his un-gloved hands over the material. Then he met Squall’s gaze, and smirked. And then he put the jacket on. Squall had to admit, he made a much prettier sight than Zidane.

“How do I look?”

“Come on. I’m tired. Give it back,” Squall rolled his eyes, lifting his hand. “ _Cloud._ ”

Cloud leaned against the door, closing it behind him as he did. There was something about his smile that made Squall shiver ever so slightly. He had no idea why.

“Come over here and make me.”


	13. “You better watch yourself.”

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Squall and Cloud explore the Fountain Court.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Setting: Kingdom Hearts-verse, pre-KH1. In this chapter (and probably only in this one), I'm going by the KH ages for Squall and Cloud, which means that Squall is two years older than Cloud, making Cloud 6 here, and Squall 8. But in general, I prefer the "true" canon ages, with Cloud being some years older.

Squall was observing his friend with concern as the two made their way to the Fountain Court. Cloud had heard a rumor that if you stood on the right spot, the water on the fountains would lift the person up higher and higher, from one platform to the next one. He hadn’t really cared either way, but somehow his friend had dragged him with him to see for sure.

“You better watch yourself. What if you slip and fall, and then I have to tell everyone you died?” Squall tried to keep worry out of his voice, but it was difficult. He felt strangely protective over the adventurous blonde, who was always getting into trouble one way or another.

“It’s fine,” Cloud said dismissively, stepping on the correct spot and letting out a yelp when he was indeed thrusted towards the upper levels of the fountains, just as he had been promised. He was wet, but laughing as he settled on the platform. “Come on, Squall!”

Squall frowned. “I don’t know.”

“Are you scared?!”

Squall rolled his eyes. Of course he wasn’t scared. He was 8. He wasn’t scared of anything anymore. He just didn’t want to get wet. But he also didn’t want to leave his friend alone. So, he did as Cloud had done, ending up falling on his stomach onto the platform.

“Ow.”

“You okay?” Cloud asked, touching the other’s arm as he helped him sit. “You think we can go even higher?”

Squall glanced up. “Probably,” he looked down at his clothes, then back at Cloud’s. “We’re gonna catch a cold.”

“Then we’ll catch a cold,” Cloud shrugged, giving his friend a smile. “Come on!” With that he rushed towards the next spot to hike himself up from, and reluctantly, Squall followed.

It took them a better part of a half an hour to figure just where to step and how to move to reach the mysterious doorway at the very end of the Fountain Court. And, sadly, it only led to a rather dull-looking hallway. Despite that, the two friends explored further.

“Why did you want me to come with you, anyway?” Squall asked as the two walked.

“Why wouldn’t I? You’re my best friend,” Cloud said it so casually that Squall almost missed it. Almost. He stopped in his tracks, staring at his younger friend.

“I am?” he asked.

“‘Course you are. Now come on. There’s more to see,” Cloud grabbed onto the other’s hand, pulling him towards the end of the hallway. Squall just followed behind, a bright smile plastered on his face. It didn’t even matter if they’d catch a cold now. He was Cloud’s best friend, and everything felt so much better all of a sudden.


	14. “Eat your lunch and you wouldn’t be hungry.”

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Squall is overworked, and Cloud is worried.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Setting: Modern AU, Roxas and Sora are their adoptive children. *also, yes, I had to change the title's usage within the chapter a little.*

Cloud woke up from his restless sleep to a very familiar sound. He glanced at the clock on the nightstand, frowning. It was 2 in the morning. Squall had worked especially late tonight.

He sighed, rubbing his eyes and making his way downstairs to where his husband was rummaging through the fridge, looking for food.

“I put your food on the table, right there. You can microwave it,” Cloud murmured, leaning against the doorway, pointing at the plate covered by foil paper. “Sora and I made spring rolls.”

“And Roxas set the table, right?”

“And cleaned it afterwards,” Cloud watched. He was worried to say the least. Squall was working more and more by the day. And he was looking more tired every day. “You ok?”

“Just hungry,” the other murmured, grabbing a spring roll and stuffing it in his mouth without even heating it. “I didn’t eat anything.”

“If you ate your lunch, you wouldn’t be hungry. I distinctly remember you packing lunch in the morning,” Cloud felt like a stern mother as he lectured his husband, but he only did it because he worried.

“Didn’t have time. Went from meeting to meeting,” Squall said, his mouth full. Cloud didn’t respond, just took a seat opposite his husband. “Stop scowling at me. I really didn’t have time.”

“You should go out to lunch with your dad sometime. Doesn’t he invite you practically every day?” Squall and Laguna worked at the same company, with Laguna training Squall to eventually take over. It was going fine, but the social aspect of their relationship still left a lot to be desired.

“Yeah, because that’d relax me,” Squall sighed, starting on his third spring roll already. “How was today, for you?”

“Fine. Got off work early. Zack invited us to his and Aerith’s place this weekend. A barbeque or something.”

“I’ll have to see if I can make it.” It was a predictable response, and Squall could tell Cloud was disappointed.

“I’m trying. I really am.” Cloud knew he was. He knew Squall was doing his best to balance his work life, and his personal life. But sometimes it seemed like he didn’t try hard enough.

“I know that,” Cloud said after a moment of silence. He was tired, and so was Squall. There was no point in arguing. He leaned closer, running a hand through his husband’s hair. “You need a haircut.”

“I thought you liked my hair long,” Squall looked at him, a small smile on his lips. His smiles were so rare these days.

“Yeah, but this is getting a bit much even for my liking. Want me to get Sora to do it?” Cloud smirked.

“If you do, you’re dead.”

“You’d miss me.”

“Doubtful,” Cloud loved that despite being exhausted and overworked, Squall still took the time to have this casual banter with him. Even after all these years, there was no doubt that they were still in love. It was somewhat of a miracle.

“You’d have to raise the kids alone,” Cloud pointed out, touching the other’s cheek. “They’re reaching the height of their teenage years.”

“Oh, god,” Squall laughed quietly, shaking his head. “I take it back. I _would_ miss you.”

“I know,” Cloud leaned closer, placing a gentle kiss on the brunette’s forehead. “I love you,” he whispered. With that, he stood up. “You coming to bed soon?”

“In a minute. Wait for me?”

“Uh-huh,” it wasn’t like Cloud had much of a choice. He always had trouble falling asleep without Squall.


	15. “Why did we have to have kids?”

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Squall wakes up to a loud noise on his rare day off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Setting: Modern AU, Roxas and Sora are their adoptive children.

Sunday mornings were a rare treat for Squall. He never worked on Sundays, so it meant that he could sleep in late, for once. And he always took the chance, if he could.

He especially liked it when Cloud had a day off, too, because it meant they could stay in bed together, which was much better than staying there alone. He liked wrapping his arms around his husband, or in turn having Cloud stroke his hair as he slept on the blonde’s chest. Either way, as long as he and Cloud were in bed together, Squall was guaranteed a good morning.

Except this particular morning, apparently. He woke up before it was even eight o’clock, and what he woke up to was a loud crash. He jumped to a sitting position, making his sleeping husband groan.

“What?” he grunted, not even opening his eyes.

“Did you hear that?” Squall asked, trying to listen.

“No.”

Cloud turned over, pressing his face against the pillow while Squall continued to listen. And soon enough, he heard it.

_“Damn it, Sora, what the hell? I was asleep!”_

_“I tripped! Do you think dads will be mad?”_

_“Dad won’t, but dad will. You better hide the pieces.”_

Despite his confusion and annoyance, Squall found it slightly amusing how he could tell which ‘dad’ Roxas meant just by the tone of his voice. And he knew he was the dad who would get mad. And he probably would.

“They broke something,” Squall rubbed his eyes.

“Uh-huh,” Cloud grunted, his face still against the pillow. “So?”

Squall glared at his husband. “Cloud.”

“Fine,” the blonde finally rose up after a deep sigh, sitting on the bed as well. He raised his eyebrows at Squall. “I’m awake.” Cloud stood up, yawning. He looked around for a pair of pants, eventually finding some.

“Kids, I’m up, and I’m gonna come see what you did,” he called out a bit louder, and Squall couldn’t help but smile at the quiet scream Sora let out.

 _“Relax, it’s just Cloud. Squall will kill you, though,_ ” they heard Roxas respond rather calmly to his brother’s anguished scream.

“Why did we have to have kids, again?” Cloud rolled his eyes, but he, too, was smiling.

“I distinctly remember you insisting upon it,” Squall was out of bed as well. He kissed his husband’s cheek before putting on some pants as well, and a white t-shirt to go with them.

“No. It was definitely you.”

“Whatever you say,” Cloud opened the door and headed for the boys’ room. “Breakfast?”

“On it,” Squall yawned, making his way downstairs. He started on the usual favorites, ranging from eggs and bacon to french toast and omelettes. He didn’t want to admit it (and he never would), but he did like spoiling his family whenever he could.

He couldn’t resist the smile when, a few minutes later, he felt Cloud kiss his cheek, wrapping his arms around him.

“What did Sora break?”

“Just the bedside lamp. I assured him you would not be killing him anytime soon,” Cloud placed one more kiss on the side of his neck before moving to set the table. “Sorry he woke you, though. I know how tired you’ve been.”

“It’s fine,” Squall said, turning some eggs over on the pan. He turned to look at the blonde. “Maybe we can take a nap later, though?” They both knew that a nap usually meant something entirely different.

“Looking forward to it,” Cloud smiled, and magically, Squall’s morning was salvaged despite the early start.


	16. “I’m done! You can fix it!”

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Squall and Laguna's father-son road trip gets cut short when their car breaks down. Luckily, someone comes to their rescue.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Setting: Modern AU.

“I’m done! You can fix it!” Squall snapped, slamming the hood of the car shut once more as he glared at his father, moving to sit on the pavement, groaning loudly.

Squall and his father, Laguna, did not get along very well. It was not for lack of trying on Laguna’s part. Squall just didn’t respond well to the other’s hyper, clumsy personality, and didn’t find any of his attempts to bond endearing or even tolerable in any sense. So a road-trip with his father sounded like pure hell. But, thankfully, it seemed like it wasn’t going to happen, since the car had broken down when they’d barely even left the city.

Of course, Laguna knew absolutely nothing about cars, so it was left to Squall to try to sort it out. Calling for help was a bit of a difficult thing to do, since there was no reception. Of course Laguna’s car had to have something inherently wrong with it. The guy was insanely rich, but he didn’t know the first thing about cars. He didn’t know the first thing about anything.

“Son, I’m sorry, but I’m sure we can sort it out,” Laguna called from where he was opening the hood once more, coughing a bit as he inhaled a bit too much smoke. “We just need to find out what the problem is.”

“You wouldn’t know. And even I don’t know enough about cars for that,” Squall muttered, standing up. “We should just hitch-hike.”

“That sounds like an adventure,” Laguna smiled brightly, naturally ignoring all the things that could go terribly wrong. And probably would.

After about a half an hour of waiting for a sign of life, Squall was starting to wonder if he should just begin the long walk towards the nearest gas station. Just as he was about to do so, he heard the distinct sound of motorcycles approaching. And fair enough, soon two, large, black motorcycles stopped in front of the car. Squall watched the one closer to him, frowning. 

He was surprised, to say the least, when he saw the person under the helmet. As soon as the man removed it, Squall caught sight of the most beautiful blonde hair he’d ever seen, in the shape of spikes of all things. How the man managed to have hair like that and not have it ruined by a helmet, Squall would never know. 

He met the man’s eyes and found himself blushing ever so slightly as the other smiled. He had a nice smile, and even nicer, blue eyes.

“You folks having trouble?” he tore his eyes from the blonde to glance at his companion, a tall young man with black hair a wide smirk. He looked like a young Laguna. And fair enough, he gravitated towards the older man, who started explaining whatever it was that was wrong with the car.

“You okay?” the blonde asked, his voice steady and quiet. Squall decided that he’d never heard a more appealing voice in his entire life.

“Car trouble,” Squall managed to get out, instinctively stepping back a bit as the blonde walked over to him. He noticed this, and smiled.

“I can see that,” he looked away from Squall and towards his friend. “Zack, how’s it looking?”

“We could probably fix it, but we didn’t bring any tools. Better just get Cid to tow the car,” Zack looked at Laguna, who looked confused. “Cid Highwind, one of the best mechanics in town.”

“He’ll see to the car. Our treat,” the blonde turned back to Squall. “We can give you guys a ride back. We’ll call Cid once we get back somewhere with decent reception.”

“You… want me to get on that?” Squall asked, gesturing at the motorcycle. He wasn’t sure if he was trusting enough to take a stranger up on such an offer, even if the stranger happened to be extremely sexy.

“That’s the idea. Or you can ride with Zack,” the blonde shrugged, offering his hand. “The name’s Cloud.”

Squall met his blue eyes once more and grabbed his hand, shaking it. “Squall.”

“So, Squall, what’s it gonna be?” Cloud smiled ever so slightly, handing his helmet to the brunette. “You getting on?”

Squall watched as Laguna was already following Zack to his bike. His father really was the most naive grown man on earth. 

Then again, it wasn’t like Squall was going to refuse the offer, either.

“Let’s go.”


	17. “Can we just watch a movie and fall asleep on the couch?”

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Valentine's Day, and Squall's being unusually sweet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Setting: Modern AU.

Cloud yawned as he walked through the door, rubbing his eyes as he kicked off his shoes. He had had the longest day at work, and he had absolutely no desire to do anything that evening, except sleep. Eat and sleep. And maybe take a shower.

He frowned as he heard sounds from the kitchen. “Zack?” he called.

His expression softened when he saw an entirely different brunette peek from behind the corner, chuckling. “I’m a little hurt.”

“Sorry. Zack often comes here when he’s out of food,” Cloud sighed, tossing his keys on the table and walking over to his boyfriend, who was in the kitchen, cooking dinner. “What the hell’s all this for?”

“Nice to see you, too,” Squall hummed, not turning away from his cookings. Whatever it was that he was making, it was delicious.

“You too,” Cloud said as he sat down at the table. The two of them had only been dating a few months so far, so he was a little surprised by this. Squall came over very rarely, and invited Cloud over even less. “Seriously, what’s this for?”

“It’s Valentine’s Day,” Squall said, still keeping his eyes on the food. “I don’t usually care about that crap, but… you’ve been stressed lately.”

Cloud sighed. “Fuck. I forgot. I’m sorry.” In all fairness, he had never been in a relationship where he felt like he needed to do something for Valentine’s Day, nor had anyone ever done anything for him for that particular occasion. This was all new territory for him.

“Don’t worry about it. I’m not trying to guilt-trip you. I just wanted to do something nice,” Squall finally turned around, having finished with the food, which happened to be steak and roasted vegetables. He set the plate in front of his boyfriend, kissing his forehead before pulling back to sit on the other side. “Tonight we can do whatever you want.”

Cloud stared at the other for a moment. “I… Squall, you don’t have to do this. I didn’t expect.. you shouldn’t feel obligated-”

“Just eat your damn steak,” Squall grunted, already biting into his. “I wanted to see you. And I was hungry. That’s all there is to it, ok?”

“So I assume that box of chocolates on the table isn’t for me, then?” Cloud gestured for the counter, where a heart-shaped chocolate box with a pink bow was.

Squall flushed. “It’s for us.”

“You were really craving chocolates?” Cloud couldn’t help but tease his flustered boyfriend, but he really did find it quite endearing. He moved his leg under the table to brush against the other’s. “You’re surprisingly sweet.”

“And you’re an asshole,” Squall said simply, but he was smiling. After a moment of silence he brought up the earlier topic: “What _do_ you want to do tonight?”

Cloud knew that Valentine’s Day was supposed to be a big thing or something, but he couldn’t care less. “Can we just… watch a movie and fall asleep on the couch?” he asked, looking at the other. “I honestly don’t wanna do anything else.”

“Of course,” Squall leaned over the table and placed a gentle kiss on the blonde’s lips. “Besides, it’s plenty romantic to fall asleep on the couch together. According to Rinoa, anyway.”

“Ah. What kind of advice did she give you, for tonight?”

“She suggested a dozen roses, and maybe even a small gift. I bet you’re glad I didn’t take her up on it,” Squall rolled his eyes at the thought of his friend.

“What if I have a thing for roses, and you just deprived me of the best gift you could ever have given me?” Cloud couldn’t help but tease, just a little.

Squall met his eyes and smirked. “Well, there’s always next Valentine’s Day.”

Cloud smiled. He certainly hoped so.


	18. “Where did he go?”

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cloud's gone back to the Coliseum, and this time, Leon follows.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Setting: Kingdom Hearts-verse, post-KH2.

Leon didn’t like the silence in the Restoration Committee’s headquarters as he stepped inside. They were all gathered around CId’s computer, whispering something. Leon made his presence known by slamming the door shut, causing Yuffie to yelp in surprise.

“What’s going on?” The man asked as he walked closer, though a part of him already knew. He had known the news the moment he had woken up. He didn’t know how, he could just… sense it.

“Cloud left again,” Aerith spoke quietly. “I saw him, he said that he would be gone for a while.”

Leon closed his eyes, and nodded. He and Cloud had been sleeping together for months now, and his lover did have a tendency to disappear. But most of the time, he did say goodbye. Most of the time.

“Where did he go?” he finally asked, shifting from one foot to the other. He felt surprisingly uncomfortable, having everyone stare at him. He hadn’t even known they knew about him and Cloud, but their expressions certainly seemed to suggest so.

“He said he was going back to the Coliseum.”

Leon frowned. Cloud hadn’t been there since they’d first gone back to Hollow Bastion (now Radiant Garden). “Did he say why?” It couldn’t be Sephiroth, right? The two had fought each other not long ago, and for a while it seemed like things were calming down.

When he got no response, Leon merely nodded. Without a word, he walked out of the house, making his way to where he knew Cid kept the extra ships. He would probably be pissed at Leon for borrowing one, but he had to. Cloud wasn’t exactly in the best terms with Hades, and the man was the God of the Underworld, after all. Not the best person to piss off.

Once he actually reached the Underworld, it didn’t take him long to locate Cloud. He was walking out of the Underdrome, seemingly victorious. He didn’t look hurt, just a little tired. He was clutching a piece of paper in his hand.

“Cloud,” Leon walked over to the man, trying to look stern rather than worried. He was mad at the blonde. He had to remember that. “Why the hell did you just up and leave like that?”

Cloud blinked, more than a little surprised to see his lover. “Leon, what…?” Then it hit him. “Aerith told you?”

“Why shouldn’t she? And why didn’t _you_?” Leon grabbed the other by the arm and pulled him closer. “Look, I don’t want to tell you what to do, but you and Hades… I just don’t want him to hurt you, after what happened last time.”

Cloud’s expression softened, and the blonde actually let out a soft chuckle.

“What?”

“You’re so…,” Cloud didn’t finish his sentence, simply leaned closer to place a kiss on the other’s lips. “I didn’t come here to pick a fight with Hades. And I didn’t come here looking for Zack, or Sephiroth.”

“Then why did you come here?” Leon murmured, their foreheads pressed together. It felt so good, being close like this. Cloud always felt good. He felt like home.

“For this,” the blonde replied, placing the paper in Leon’s hand and looking the other in the eye. “For Ellone. I know you’ve been looking for her. I know you believe she’s still alive. I heard a rumor that there was someone here who’d been in contact with her.” He stepped back a bit, watching as Leon stared at the note, as if seeing a ghost.

“I had to fight a few battles, I made a bet with the man, that’s how I got the location. But I won. And if she’s there, we’ll find her.”

Leon didn’t know what to say. He had known he loved Cloud for quite some time now, but this was the first real proof that the blonde might love him back. “Why did you do this for me?”

Cloud merely chuckled, shaking his head. Without a word, he leaned closer and touched the other’s face. “I’d do just about anything for you, idiot.”

Leon wrapped his arms around the other, pulling him in for a kiss while his hand clutched onto the note. They would find his sister and bring her home, and then Leon would introduce her to Cloud, properly. It was only right that his sister got to meet the love of his life.


	19. “I forgot I was a single parent.”

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> During an argument, Squall says something he immediately regrets.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Setting: Modern AU. Roxas and Sora are their children.

Cloud hated fighting with Squall. At any time. But he especially hated it like this. When they were both tired, at the end of the night, both just off from work, the kids sleeping. It sucked. And he knew that this time, Squall had a reason to be angry.

Cloud had been pretty busy with work lately, since he was taking over the delivery service for Cid. Soon, it would be his own business and even though it wasn’t much, he was proud of it. And he knew Squall was proud of him, too. But sometimes, Cloud knew he left too much for Squall to do, and he could practically feel the other’s disappointment every time he came home late.

The blonde had been ready to call it a night and go to bed angry (most likely on the couch), when he heard Squall mutter something under his breath.

“Sorry. I forgot I was a single parent.”

Cloud turned around at his words, his eyes wide. “ _What_ did you just say?”

He could tell from the look on the other’s face that he regretted it immediately. But it was too late. He couldn’t take it back now.

“I just-,” Squall cleared his throat, avoiding Cloud’s eyes. “It feels like that sometimes. You’re never here.”

“You know why that is. I’m not purposely avoiding you, or the kids. I’m trying to build something for myself. Something that will help us provide for our family,” Cloud hissed. “Or, what, is it _your_ family now?”

“I didn’t mean it!”

“Then you shouldn’t have said it. Fucking asshole,” Cloud rubbed his eyes before walking out of the kitchen, making his way to the bathroom. He took a quick shower (something he’d been wanting to do since getting home, but Squall had ambushed him into an argument) and brushed his teeth, hoping that he could at least get to the couch without further incident.

When he got out, he almost ran into Squall, who was standing right in front of him, looking apologetic.

“What…?”

“Look. I don’t think I’m a single parent. I don’t. I just… I _miss_ you. I miss having you around.” Cloud appreciated the apology. He knew how difficult it was for Squall to apologize. But he also knew that he was still pissed, and he didn’t want to pretend otherwise.

“I know,” he murmured. “But a few years ago, it was the other way around, remember?”

“I know.”

“You were working with your father, on your way to a big promotion-”

“I remember.”

“...And I supported you. I didn’t throw it back in your face,” Cloud met his eyes, shrugging. “So I get it, but…,” he walked past the brunette, rubbing the back of his head. “I’m gonna sleep here tonight.”

He could feel Squall’s eyes on him, but at that moment he didn’t particularly care. He was tired. He sat down on the couch, pulling a blanket over himself as he closed his eyes.

It was only about five minutes later that he finally heard Squall’s footsteps going upstairs. And try as he might, it took Cloud another three hours to actually fall asleep.


	20. “Don’t apologize if you don’t mean it.”

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Squall realizes that dating a member of an eco-terrorist organization can be a bit of a conflict of interest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Setting: AU where both VII and VIII exist, and where Shinra has been rebuilt under Rufus Shinra's command. And obviously, Cloud's with AVALANCE and Squall the head of the Garden.

“There’s a surprise waiting for you in your office” was a sentence Squall never wanted to hear come out of Selphie’s mouth. But he had, and now the commander of Balamb Garden was on his way to said office, which used to belong to Cid Kramer. He was feeling a little on edge already as it was. He had just received a request for SeeD assistance from none other than the Shinra Corporation. Apparently they were having trouble with an eco-terrorist group that went by the name AVALANCHE.

This said group was one Squall was particularly familiar with, for one reason and one reason alone.

...And it seemed that reason was looking right at him.

“You’re sitting in my chair,” was the only thing Squall could think of. He stood by the doorway, watching as his boyfriend of many years sat in his chair, his feet on his desk. He didn’t particularly care about that, though. He cared that Cloud was here.

A part of him was happy to see him. It had been a while. But another part of him was pissed.

“Surprised?” Cloud smiled. It was such an innocent smile. That asshole.

“Not really,” the brunette murmured, closing and locking the door after him as he walked forwards, tossing the letter he’d received from Rufus Shinra only moments ago. “Care to explain this?”

Cloud blinked, still playing coy. But Squall knew he knew. And he knew that was why the blonde was even here in the first place. “What’s that?”

“Rufus Shinra requesting our assistance with a particularly annoying terrorist group. AVALANCHE.”

“Weird name.”

“ _Cloud,_ ” Squall practically hissed, causing the other to look at him, a small smile on his face.

“You’re pretty hot when you’re angry.”

“I thought that you promised you’d get them to be more on the down low from now on. I _told_ you, I didn’t want to be put in a position where I’d have to choose between you and a client.”

Cloud sighed, rolling his eyes. Squall knew there was no point in arguing, since Cloud wasn’t even in charge of the organization. But, still… He could try harder. Or look less smug. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t apologize if you don’t mean it,” Squall grabbed the letter once more, walking to the other side of the desk, kicking the chair. “Off.”

Cloud shrugged, moving instead to sit on the desk itself, looking at his boyfriend as he sat down, putting the letter away safely. “Are you gonna accept?”

Squall met the other’s eyes, and frowned. “You know it’s our job to remain impartial. We’re mercenaries. You of all people should know what that entails.”

Cloud didn’t look worried as he pulled Squall closer by the front of his jacket. “So, are you going to chase me down? Do you think you could beat me in a fair fight?”

In all honesty, Squall wasn’t sure. But he wasn’t about to give his already-smug boyfriend any more reason to smile. “If I have to. It’s my job.”

“Hmm,” Cloud leaned ever closer, almost pressing their lips together, but not quite. “I’m hurt.”

“You could always quit and come work for me,” it was not the first time Squall was suggesting it. Cloud’s abilities would come in handy.

“Not interested,” with that, the blonde pulled away, stepping off the desk and heading for the door. “I’m gonna go have a look around. See you tonight?”

“Cloud,” Squall’s tone was sharp. “I wouldn’t take the job, not for any kind of money. You know that.”

“I know,” the blonde gave him a small, genuine smile. “And I wouldn’t fight you.” With that, he unlocked and opened the door. “See you later?”

The thought of Cloud waiting for him motivated Squall even further to finish his work for the day and to join the other somewhere more private. “Later.”

First, he needed to give Rufus Shinra some bad news.


	21. “You’re going out dressed like that?”

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Squall catches Cloud in a dress. There's an explanation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Setting: Final Fantasy VII, except that Squall's a part of AVALANCHE, too.

Squall didn’t trust Cloud Strife. He knew that the man was friends with Tifa, but he was rather suspicious, and him claiming to be former SOLDIER specifically clashed with what Tifa had told him previously, when Squall himself had first joined AVALANCHE. And besides, Squall wasn’t that quick to trust new people, anyway.

That was his excuse for tailing after the blonde, and following him as he went from shop to shop at the Wall Market, accompanied by some unknown brunette girl.

After a while, Squall decided he’d waited long enough. He was going to confront Cloud about his past, and about his true intentions. He said he was only there for the money, but why was he still hanging around Tifa and the others, then? And who was this new girl? He had a lot of questions, and he was going to get answers.

As soon as he stepped into the clothing store, he noticed the brunette. She was peeking through the curtain, behind which someone must have been changing into something. She was giggling. Squall frowned, looking around for the man. Just as he was about to talk to the girl instead, the curtain was moved aside and a blonde woman with a bright purple dress and a tiara of all things stepped out. For a moment Squall allowed himself to think that the woman was actually rather attractive…

...until he recognized her. _Him._

“Cloud?” he walked forwards, at a loss for words. “What the fuck?”

Cloud blushed bright red, and who could blame him? He wasn’t really at his most presentable. “Squall. Shit. What’re you doing here?”

Squall wanted to do whatever he could to avoid the question, at least for now. “You’re… you’re going out dressed like _that_?”

“It’s for Tifa. We’re saving her,” the brunette girl smiled, looking rather enthusiastic, almost as if she was enjoying all of this.

And so Cloud and Aerith filled Squall in on the whole plan, and the younger man had to admit, Cloud couldn’t have been that bad if he was willing to go this far to protect his friend. Still, he would reserve judgment until he knew more about the blonde.

“Stop staring at me,” Cloud hissed, tugging at his braid, which Squall could only assume was a part of the wig.

Squall snorted. “You look the part, but how the hell are you going to convince Don Corneo you’re a girl with a voice like that?”

“Maybe she’s the silent, mysterious type,” Aerith offered, smirking. “I’ll be right back.”

“Where are you going?” Cloud obviously didn’t want to be left alone with Squall, which was understandable.

“To find another wig, of course. Squall’s coming with us,” with that, the flower girl was gone and Squall had absolutely no time to object.

Squall turned to Cloud, shaking his head violently. “I am not coming with you guys!”

“I thought you agreed that we needed to do whatever we could to save Tifa,” Cloud raised his eyebrows. “Or was that all talk?”

Squall glared at the other. “Whatever.” He knew he was coming along, and Cloud knew it, too.

“Were you following me?” the silence was broken by Cloud a moment later, and the way the blonde was looking at him made Squall feel rather uncomfortable. Like he could read him as if he were an open book.

“I don’t trust you.” It was the truth, after all.

“I don’t trust you, either. Doesn’t mean I go around following you,” the blonde glared at him. “Don’t do it again.”

Squall couldn't help but laugh. “You’re very hard to take seriously when you look like that.”

Cloud was about to snap something back at him when he saw Aerith enter once more. And instead, he grinned. “You won’t be laughing for long.”


	22. “For the hundredth time, I’m not your babysitter.”

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cloud doesn't like getting stuck as the babysitter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Setting: Maybe modern. Doesn't really matter. As strange as it is in this setting, Cloud is canonically four years older than Squall (Squall is 17 in VIII, Cloud 21 in VII), so in this, Squall's 9 and Cloud's 13, though he thinks he's much cooler than a 13 year-old has any right to think.

Cloud rolled his eyes as he tried to get away from the younger brunette. He could be doing anything other than this right now, but for some reason he had been left in charge of a 9 year old brat, one who wouldn’t leave him alone.

“Cloud!” the brunette in question shouted, trying to keep up with the older blonde. “Cloud, Cid said that you have to take me to the park.”

Cloud was a little surprised as to why the brunette was even eager to spend time with him. Usually, he seemed very antisocial and almost rude. Around everyone except Cloud. If he didn’t know any better, he’d assume that the kid had a crush on him. But that would be weird.

“Why don’t I just take you home and we wait for Edea there?” Cloud muttered, not bothering to give the younger boy as much as a look as he walked down the street. He knew the other would follow anyway.

Squall looked disappointed. “No,” he said. “You promised you’d teach me how to fight. Remember?” He looked a bit hesitant, as if Cloud was letting him down somehow.

The blonde glanced at the other, stopping in his tracks. “I did?”

“Last week.”

Cloud bit his lip. He had no recollection, but he didn’t think Squall would be lying, either. “Maybe some other time.”

Squall frowned. He did that a lot. He was probably the most serious child Cloud had ever met. “Matron said you’re my babysitter.”

“For the hundredth time, I’m _not_ your babysitter,” Cloud gritted his teeth as he tried to keep his calm. He didn’t understand what this kid’s fascination with him was. “Cid just brought you over. I was just on my way out.”

“And I followed you. Still technically babysitting, because you agreed,” Squall crossed his arms. “It’s not like I _need_ a babysitter, but…,” he looked slightly awkward. “I was hoping you’d teach me. How to fight. Like you promised.”

Cloud took a deep breath. “Why do you want me to teach you? You could just ask Zack.” It was common knowledge that Zack liked spreading his wisdom, and that was basically just his fighting skills. And his flirting skills, but personally Cloud thought that he had a lot of work to do in that department.

“I don’t want Zack. I want you,” Squall said simply, heading towards the direction of the park. “We can practice at the park,” he hesitated for a moment, giving Cloud one more look. “ _I’m_ going, anyway.”

Cloud watched the other, and found a small smile tugging on his lips. Despite being annoyed, he couldn’t help but find something strangely endearing about the boy’s determination. Perhaps that was why he followed Squall to the park, and perhaps that was also why he spent the whole afternoon teaching the other everything he knew about fighting.


	23. “Frost the damn cupcakes.”

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leon had promised to help Aerith bake, but he didn't that Cloud would be joining him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Setting: KH-verse, post-KH2.

Leon could feel the blonde’s stare on him, which he didn’t appreciate at all. He had promised to help Aerith bake some cupcakes, but he wouldn’t have promised anything of the sort, had he known that Cloud would be here, too. He didn’t know why, but he was finding the blonde particularly annoying nowadays. Sephiroth had been defeated, the worlds had been restored, and that meant that Cloud finally had the time to spend at home.

And Leon had discovered that while he and the blonde had a surprising amount of things in common, they were also quick to argue, and whenever they got to sparring, it always ended up in something a little more aggressive than he’d like.

He was very surprised to find that the blonde had even agreed to bake, but he shouldn’t have been. Cloud and Aerith had always been close.

“What?” he finally demanded, turning to look at the blonde, who had a smile tugging on his lips. Unlike Leon, he wasn’t wearing an apron, and he was significantly less covered in flour and other baking materials.

“Nothing,” Cloud said simply, still smiling as he got back to frosting the cupcakes. “Just… you look…,” he met Leon’s eyes and gestured at his appearance. “Good.”

“Shut up, and frost the damn cupcakes,” Leon hissed, turning back to his own work, frowning as he noticed that his frosting really wasn’t coming out as well as he hoped.

Cloud merely snorted, but stayed silent for a while. Leon found that he liked silent Cloud even less than mocking Cloud. “I don’t even understand why you’re here.”

“Aerith asked me,” Cloud murmured, his eyes on the cupcakes. They were for Yuffie’s birthday party, which was to be held tomorrow.

“Yes, but when do you ever do what you’re asked?” Leon had a point, and he knew it. Cloud was definitely not one for following the rules.

Cloud glanced up at the other again. “You’re bothered that I’m here. Why?” he looked genuinely curious. “Would you rather I had stayed at the Coliseum?” Leon could tell it was something Cloud had been wondering for a while. And Leon couldn’t blame him. It wasn’t like he had been particularly friendly towards the blonde since.

“No,” he said finally, turning back to the cupcakes, working on one for a few seconds before putting it away. “I just don’t know what you’re doing here.”

“Meaning?”

“Sephiroth’s gone, but you still go around killing heartless whenever you can. You always wanna fight. You…,” Leon hesitated. “It’s like you’re still at war, and I think you’re in denial about it.”

“Well, aren’t you just a perfect mind-reader,” Cloud’s tone was filled with sarcasm. Leon could hear the other approaching, and spun around just in time to see the blonde march close enough that their noses were practically touching. “You wanna know why I keep fighting?”

Leon tried to keep his cool. He didn’t want to pick another fight. Was it concern he was feeling right now? No, it was more like… excitement. But why?

“Yes.”

“I fight, because one day Sephiroth is going to come back,” Cloud murmured, his voice low. “And when he does, I need to be ready. I need to be able to fight him. And I need to win. Every time,” he whispered, his eyes staring directly into Leon’s. “I can’t stop training, I can’t let myself… let go. If I do, I’m dead. And so are all of you.”

Leon couldn’t even begin to understand the strain Sephiroth must have put on the blonde on a daily basis. But he wanted to. Suddenly, he wanted to help.

“No one ever said you have to keep fighting alone.”

The comment took Cloud by surprise, and for a moment, he looked relieved. Only for a moment though, because soon, he had pulled away and gone back to his cupcakes. “I do, though. It’s my fight.”

Leon didn’t say anything else, but he decided at that moment that he was going to try to convince CLoud otherwise. No one should carry such a burden alone. Not even Cloud.


	24. “You look pretty hot in plaid.”

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cloud's surprisingly talkative when he's drunk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Setting: Modern AU.

Squall hadn’t been sure what he had gotten himself into when he had agreed to go out drinking with Cloud and their friends, but he now knew. He was witnessing his first sight of drunk Cloud.

The two of them had been dating for a while now, but they had never gotten drunk together. Neither one of them was much for parties - in fact, they actively avoided them - but it was Zack’s birthday, and Zack was Cloud’s very best friend, so of course Squall had agreed to come along.

Squall was still on his second drink when he felt someone wrap his arms around him from behind. He could see the blonde hair at the corner of his eyes, and resisted the urge to smile.

“You know what, Squall?” Cloud tried his best to take a seat on the stool next to Squall’s, but almost tripped. He would have, had it not been for the brunette’s quick reflexes. He grabbed Cloud by the waist and helped him sit down.

“What?”

“You look pretty hot in plaid,” the blonde smiled, eyeing his boyfriend. Squall had discarded his leather jacket for the night and worn a simple, dark-blue plaid shirt instead.

“I do?” he chuckled dryly, taking a sip of his drink. “Maybe you’re just drunk.”

“Nope. No. You look hot,” Cloud smiled, running her hand through the other’s hair. “I’m getting bored. Do you wanna get out of here?”

A part of Squall did want to, but he knew sober Cloud would be pissed if they ditched the birthday boy. Especially when said birthday boy was even more drunk than Cloud himself. “We can’t. It’s Zack’s birthday.”

“Zack’s having the time of his life!” Cloud gestured over to where the black-haired man was dancing with his girlfriend, Aerith, who was laughing at some joke he’d made. Aerith looked a little drunk, too, but Zack was having trouble even staying upright, though he had no trouble talking. It seemed to be his favorite pastime.

“I know that, but it’d be rude to leave early,” Squall said, thanking the lord for having had to deal with a drunk Selphie on multiple occasions. Those occasions had taught him more about patience than anything else in his life.

Cloud actually pouted. “Then, can I have another drink? I lost my wallet.”

Squall’s eyes went wide. “You… what…?”

“He didn’t lose it, he gave it to me an hour ago. Told me to go buy myself some brighter clothes,” Vincent murmured as he took a seat on Squall’s other side. He handed the wallet to Squall. “I trust you’ll take better care of it than that drunk mess.”

“I am not a mess!” Cloud frowned.

“But you _are_ drunk,” Squall was starting to reconsider Cloud’s offer. Maybe they should get out and get the blonde to bed. But he would not be having sex with a barely conscious Cloud. It felt wrong.

Cloud only made an incoherent sound, shrugging his shoulders. “Now I can buy myself a drink,” he reached towards Squall, probably to grab the wallet, but lost his balance once more. He was about to topple over, but the brunette caught him once again.

“You’re not buying anything,” Squall sighed, shoving the blonde away enough to get his own wallet out and pay for his last drink. “Vincent, I’m taking Cloud home.”

“Good luck,” the black-haired man watched them in amusement.

“Bye, Zack! Happy Birthday!” Cloud shouted as he was practically dragged out of the bar by Squall. They made it to the cab without incident, but once inside, Cloud started yawning.

“I’m tired all of the sudden.”

“You have been surprisingly talkative and active these past few hours. Who knew that a drunk Cloud would resemble a sober Zack so much,” Squall smiled. Despite the annoyance, he found it adorable.

“I’m not as bad as Zack,” Cloud insisted, shaking his head.

“Fine, you’re not. And besides, any annoyance I may feel towards you will be repaid tomorrow when you wake up with a killer hangover.”

Cloud buried his head in his hands. “I hate hangovers,” he looked up from between his fingers, frowning. “Why aren’t _you_ drunk, huh?”

“I…,” Squall didn’t really know. “I wanted to make sure nothing bad happened to you. I was a little surprised at how carefree you get when you’re drunk.”

Cloud smiled. “You care about me a lot, huh?”

Squall looked out of the window for a while, sighing. It was now or never. Besides, Cloud might not even remember in the morning. “I _love_ you a lot.”

He turned around to gaze at his boyfriend only to find that the blonde had already passed out. Squall chuckled, rubbing his eyes. Maybe it was for the best. A love confession was better left for when the other person could properly comprehend it, anyway.


	25. “I thought you were dead!”

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cloud comes back after his final battle with the Remnants, to the relief of Squall and the others.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Setting: End of Advent Children (that movie is perfect and I didn't even have to look up any of these lines, I know it by heart. I'm so lame). In this chapter, Squall's a part of AVALANCHE.

It was finally over. Sephiroth was dead, perhaps even for good this time. Cloud took a deep breath, looking up at the _Shera,_ smiling to himself. Despite his wounds and the terrible ache he felt all over, he was free. The geostigma was gone, Kadaj was dead, and Sephiroth was a memory once more.

He was just about to try to find a way off the building when he heard it. The sound of a gunshot. And then he felt it, the very same second. He’d been shot. Cloud knew who it was. It had to be the Remnants. Loz and Yazoo. And fair enough, he could hear them muttering something about ‘ _going together’_ , but Cloud had no plans to do that. He’d made a promise to someone that he’d come back. He couldn’t break that.

So he stood, and charged at the Remnants, ready to fight until the end.

That was the last thing he remembered. He thought he was dead. He felt like he was dead. The pain was gone, and he could hear the two voices he loved so very much, and that he missed more than anything.

_“...this one’s a little too big to adopt.”_

_“Tough luck, friend. Looks like… you don’t have a place here.”_

Cloud wanted to respond. He wanted to call to Zack, to Aerith. To thank them, to greet them, to tell them he was so sorry, and that he loved them. But before he could say a word, their presence was gone, he could once more open his eyes, and he was standing in the water in Aerith’s church, surrounded by children.

He didn’t know what to say. It all made sense, in his head. Aerith and Zack had saved him once more. But how exactly had he ended up here? He was about to ask when one of the children, a brunette girl, spoke:

“It’s like she said. Wait here, and Cloud will come back.”

Cloud looked down. It had been Aerith, then. Her final gift to him. He was not going to waste it.

“Welcome back,” the moment he heard the deep, familiar voice, his eyes shot up, and he was met with a sight that made his heart ache with joy. All his friends, standing together by the water, watching them. And closest to him stood Squall, with a small smile on his face. He had been the one to speak. Of course he had. He had been the one Cloud had made a promise to.

Fair enough, he had also promised Denzel he’d return, but… Squall had made him swear.

_“You are not dying without me.”_

Those words were still ringing in Cloud’s head as he tried to gather the ability to speak once more. “I’m back.” His eyes were focused on Squall, who was standing next to Denzel.

“There are still people with the stigma,” Nanaki spoke, reminding Cloud that not everything was over just yet. He would not waste the gift Aerith had given them.

“Yeah,” he said, stepping closer. He paused, however, as he noticed that Squall was encouraging Denzel to step closer, helping the boy walk closer to the blonde. It felt good to see. During his absence, Squall had really stepped up and been there for Denzel. Now, it was his turn.

“Come on, I’m here,” Cloud promised, extending his hands to the boy. He lifted him up, lowering Denzel into the water and pouring some of it onto the boy’s head, letting the healing powers flow through the other, healing his stigma for good. Cloud hoped the boy would never have to face another tragedy like this again.

Soon enough, all the children had jumped into the water, and a few adults as well. Cloud, on the other hand, stepped forwards to meet Squall, not at all surprised when the brunette pulled him in for a hug.

“I thought you were dead,” Squall whispered, his voice filled with pain. “I thought you… Cloud,” he didn’t say anything for a while, just held him close.

Cloud smiled, wrapping his arms around the other. “I’m right here.” As he held Squall, he noticed a familiar figure by the entrance to the church, and for a moment, his heart skipped a beat. It was impossible not to recognize her.

No… _them._

He watched, his eyes wide, as Aerith and Zack both turned their faces to meet him. They looked content. Happy. It was all Cloud wanted for them.

“You see?” Aerith had a small smile across her lips as she watched Cloud embrace Squall, the man he had come to love beyond all else during these past few years. “Everything’s… alright.”

Cloud watched. He watched as Aerith slowly began to walk away, and he watched as Zack gave him one last wave. They were saying goodbye. Cloud knew, deep down, that he would never see them again. It was a bittersweet thing.

At least they were together now.

Once the two had disappeared into the light, Cloud smiled. “I know.” He hugged Squall just a tiny bit tighter then.

“I’m not alone. _Not anymore_.”


	26. “I thought it was a one-night-stand…and now we’re married…”

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Squall reflects on his relationship with Cloud.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Setting: Modern AU.

Squall disliked these work parties. He hated people prying into his personal business, he hated small talk, he hated all of it. But he especially hated it when his father’s work friends tried their best not to seem like total homophobes as he told them he was married to a man.

As he thought of Cloud, he glanced over to find the blonde chatting with Rinoa by the buffet table. Cloud never seemed as bothered by the comments or the glares as Squall was. Obviously partly because he didn't’ actually work at the company, but probably also because of the fact that that was simply who Cloud was as a person.

“Squall,” he turned around at a surprisingly familiar voice, and found himself smiling when he saw Edea and Cid Kramer walk towards them. The two of them had practically raised Squall. In his youth, he had lived in an orphanage for a time. Laguna hadn’t known about his existence until later, and Edea and Cid had been the only loving adult figures in Squall’s life for his early years.

“Mr. and Mrs. Kramer,” Squall smiled, walking towards them. “What are you doing here?” They lived in a completely different part of the country.

“Your father invited us. We heard about your promotion. Congratulations, my boy,” Cid smiled happily.

“Is he here?” Edea looked around curiously.

“He’s right there,” Squall gestured towards where Laguna was stuffing his face in some of the foods. For the leader of the company, he did a very bad job at being the face of the company.

“No, not your father. Your _husband,_ ” Edea chuckled gently. “Cloud, right?”

Squall blinked. So few people ever asked him about Cloud that it shocked him. The two of them had gotten married a few months ago. It had been a shotgun wedding, just the two of them and Zack and Rinoa as witnesses. Rinoa had been all too happy to be the best man for Squall.

“Oh, he’s…,” Squall frowned. He realized that these two people whom he cared for very much had never even met Cloud. “Over there,” he pointed to where Cloud was, a small smile on his face as he watched the blonde listen politely to whatever story Rinoa was telling.

“Oh, he’s handsome,” Edea said. “ _Very_ handsome. Good job.”

Cid smiled. “You make it sound like it’s surprising. Our Squall here is just as dapper,” he said, patting the younger man on the shoulder. “Would you invite him over? We’d like to meet him.”

Squall was about to do just that when Edea grabbed onto his arm. “Before you do, we want to know. Are you happy with him?” she looked hopeful.

Not one to share his feelings, Squall was about to give a half-hearted answer, but he knew that unlike other people, Edea and Cid actually cared.

“At the start… I thought it was a one-night-stand…and now we’re married…”, Squall smiled a little, looking over to Cloud. “And I feel like the luckiest man on earth. I really love him. And I’m happier than ever before.”

Both Cid and Edea looked a little surprised at the man’s honesty, but not for long. “That’s good,” Cid smirked. “You deserve it. Now run along and get him.”

“Yes, we have many questions for him,” Edea agreed.

“And some embarrassing baby pictures to show,” Cid nodded enthusiastically.

Squall groaned, but still made his way to Cloud. He didn’t show it, but he felt incredibly grateful to Cid and Edea. It was a wonderful thing to know that at least someone was happy for them. Because Squall had meant it. He really was happier than he had ever been before.


	27. “Quit touching me. Your feet are cold.”

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cloud is not a fan of cuddling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Setting: Modern (KH-verse 'cause Leon) AU.

Cloud groaned, opening his eyes. He had been so close to falling asleep, and then Leon had gone in for the cuddle. While Cloud loved having sex with his boyfriend, and while he even loved spending the night at the other’s place, he did not love the cuddling part. 

It wasn’t like Leon was a big cuddler either, but still, he seemed to like it from time to time, especially on cold nights, like the one they were having now.

Cloud sighed, trying to get comfortable. He felt the other’s arms around his waist, pulling him closer, and he let out an annoyed sound when he felt the other’s feet touch his own.

“Quit touching me. Your feet are cold,” he grumbled, turning over to gaze at his boyfriend, who seemed to be fast asleep. But Cloud could tell from the way he was breathing that he was not.

Leon opened one eye, a small smile on his face. “Your feet are cold, too. It’s a cold night.”

“Still,” Cloud muttered, trying to pull away. Though, to be fair, he wasn’t trying that hard. “I don’t want to cuddle. You know that.”

“You didn’t seem to mind it yesterday.” Fair enough, last night Cloud had been the one to nudge himself a bit closer to his boyfriend. But there was a good reason.

“I was drunk,” he pointed out. He leaned slightly closer, pressing their foreheads together. “Look, I just can’t sleep like this.” He preferred to have his space when he was trying to get comfortable for the night.

“Oh, fine,” Leon rolled his eyes affectionately, pulling away from the blonde. “What if I need to cuddle to fall asleep?”

“I know for a fact that you don’t. You’re just trying to annoy me,” Cloud laid on his back, trying to steady his breathing and get his brain ready for bed. It was already 2 in the morning.

Leon smiled. “Maybe a little. You look pretty cute when you’re all bothered,” he glanced at Cloud and then chuckled. “Relax, I’m not gonna force you to cuddle. I was just cold,” he turned to his side and pulled the covers up to his ear. “Night.”

Cloud stayed still for a moment, glancing at Leon. He felt a bit bad for being so rude earlier. He leaned a little closer, wrapping an arm around the other under the blankets. 

“Hmm?” Leon opened his eyes. “What?”

“I guess it’s not so bad. But just because it’s cold out,” Cloud murmured against the back of Leon’s neck, holding him a little tighter. “Just for tonight.”

“Just for tonight,” Leon agreed, and Cloud could just imagine the smile on his face. 

“Shut up,” the blonde whispered, closing his eyes and trying to fall asleep. And surprisingly, he managed it quite quickly. Maybe cuddling wasn’t the worst thing in the world after all.


	28. “I’m your husband. It’s my job.”

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cloud is heading off to fight Sephiroth, but Leon protests, wanting to come along.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Setting: KH-verse, way after KH2.

“I just don’t see why you feel like you need to do this on your own every time,” Leon said as he followed Cloud out of the house, watching with slight anxiety as the blonde held his Buster Sword, ready to march off somewhere, wherever it was that Sephiroth was waiting.

“It’s my problem. He’s _my_ darkness,” Cloud murmured. “We’ve been over this. I’ll be back when I’ve defeated him.” But he never really did defeat him. It was always temporary. It felt like it was always going to be temporary. “Stop worrying.”

“I’m your husband. It’s my job to worry,” Leon rushed over to him, grabbing his arm before he could run off. “I want to come with you this time.”

“No,” Cloud said immediately. He knew that it would do little to help him. Leon was a talented fighter and quick on his feet, but having him there would only serve as a distraction for Cloud, and as additional ammunition for Sephiroth to use against him. It was a bad idea in every sense.

“Why not?” Leon sighed. “I could help. Maybe, if you didn’t always fight alone, you could actually defeat him for good!”

Cloud met his eyes, frowning. For a moment, he considered it. He thought about the positives, and then allowed himself to think about the negatives. He shook his head.

“No,” he said again. “I can’t let you get involved,” he walked past the other man. “I’m sorry,” he loved Leon with everything he had in him, but the last thing he wanted was for them to fight Sephiroth together. They would most likely both end up dead.

“What if I come anyway?” Leon countered. “What then?”

“Then I’ll have to do whatever I can to stop you,” Cloud didn’t even turn around. He had expected some sort of argument from the stubborn brunette. He was always like this. “But I know you’re smart enough to listen to me when I tell you to stay home.”

“I’m just as capable of fighting as you, you know,” Leon spat out, and Cloud could practically hear the frustration in his voice. Slowly, he turned back around, the Buster Sword still steadily in his hand.

“Sephiroth’s different from the regular heartless. Besides, the Restoration Committee needs you. Sora needs you,” the blonde stepped back. “I’ll be fine.”

“ _You_ don’t need me, then, is that what you’re saying?”

“I _need_ you to be here when I come back,” Cloud countered. He knew it wasn’t enough of a response, it wasn’t enough to make Leon not hate him for this. But it was all he had to give now. He had to hurry before Sephiroth would seek him out himself.

“Cloud.”

The way Leon spoke made the blonde pause. For a moment, he thought about not going at all. Sephiroth could wait, surely, he…

No. He had to go. He always had to go. Until Sephiroth was fully and completely dealt with, he had to embrace each battle just to be able to keep his loved ones safe. Sephiroth had become particularly aggressive after Cloud had married Leon. Perhaps he was afraid Cloud was letting go of the darkness. And he would, if he could.

Cloud walked back to the man he loved, wrapping his arms around him and pulling him in for a passionate kiss, his hands moving to cup his face.

Leon kissed him back in equal measure, his hands around Cloud’s waist, as if hoping to stop him from going. But Cloud knew that Leon wouldn’t try anymore. His husband knew him too well to waste time on that.

“I’ll be back,” Cloud whispered once they broke apart, allowing one last smile at the man he loved before walking off. He didn’t turn around once, for the fear of watching Leon’s hurt expression. He knew it killed the other every time he walked away. If only he could make him understand that he was doing all of this to protect him.


	29. "I don't do hugs."

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Squall and Cloud are definitely not ones for needless touching.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Setting: Modern AU. Cloud's 19 and in college, Squall's 18 and a senior in high school.

“I don’t do hugs,” Cloud murmured, but it was already too late. Zack was hugging him, practically squeezing the life out of him. The taller man always had a tendency to do this around people he cared about, to get a little too affectionate and enthusiastic. And everyone else was fine with it except for Cloud.

“Oops, sorry, man,” Zack smirked as he pulled away. “Forgot about that,” he ruffled the blonde’s unruly hair. It had been a few years since the two had seen each other, so the man could be forgiven for forgetting. “Did you used to hate hugs?”

Cloud remembered the last time the two had seen each other, when he himself had been barely 17, and a lot more shy. He shrugged. “I’ve never been that big of a fan of physical contact.” He didn’t hate it, but he was never one to rush into his friends’ arms, either.

“Right, gotcha,” Zack smiled, wrapping an arm around his friend. “So, Spike, catch me up! What’s new with you?”

Cloud groaned, but let it go. Zack was Zack, and he could bear his overly friendly nature, because he really was a good friend. Still, it was _annoying._

 

* * *

 

Squall shook his head as the man in front of him opened his arms. “I don’t do hugs.”

Zell’s face fell ever so slightly, but then he lowered his arms, chuckling. “You don’t do handshakes, and you don’t do hugs. Why not just say you don’t do physical touching at all?”

“Fine. I don’t do physical touching at all,” Squall said, already beginning his walk towards their next class. Even if they were seniors, that didn’t give them an excuse to be late for class. Of course, Zell always liked to forget about that specific detail.

“Yeah, that’s the Squall we know and love,” Zell was always good with Squall’s little quirks, and deep down the brunette was relieved about that. He didn’t want to have to pretend to be anyone he wasn’t.

He only grunted, pushing open the door to the class, hoping to silence the blonde for the time being. He didn’t really even know why physical touches made him so uncomfortable. It was just a part of him. Maybe if the moment called for it, he could hug someone. Sure. But he had never understood the reasoning behind people constantly holding hands, cuddling, or kissing. It made no sense to him.

 

* * *

 

Cloud walked over to Squall, his legs moving as fast as possible without properly going into a run. And as soon as he reached the other, he wrapped his arms around him, hugging the other tight. He felt Squall’s arms wrap around his waist, pulling him close.

“I missed you,” Cloud half-believed he’d imagined those words, but no, Squall had said them. As he pulled away a bit, he smiled.

“I missed you, too,” he whispered. It had been too long. Being in a long-distance relationship was a bitch. But soon Squall would be done with his last year of school, and he would be moving to Midgar, where Cloud lived. They could finally start to build their relationship without the looming threat of constant goodbyes.

Squall touched the blonde’s face, smiling. “How long are you staying?”

“A week. It was all I could get, college has been pretty hard,” Cloud admitted, his hands on the other’s chest. “But it’s something, right?”

Squall nodded. He leaned close, pressing a gentle kiss against his boyfriend’s forehead. “It’s more than enough.” He pulled away only to take the other’s hand, completely unaware that he was contradicting his own policy on hand-holding. “Come on. I’m making dinner.”

“Sounds great,” Cloud smiled softly, following the other out of the airport.


	30. “Don’t talk anymore.”

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Squall's not a fan of airport security.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Setting: Modern AU. This was originally my little sister's idea, and it's hilarious (probably didn't write it as hilarious, but I loved the idea itself). I also included the amount of belts I counted Leon to have in a pic from KH1, or something. That's including his belts on his waist, the ones on his wrist and the ones on his legs.

Cloud couldn’t resist the smile as he watched his boyfriend remove all of his thirteen belts as the two of them got ready to go through airport security. They were on their way to visit Tifa and the others in Midgar, and unfortunately for Squall, that included getting on a plane.

Cloud had silently been looking forward to this. He was watching, his mouth twitching ever so slightly as Squall removed one belt after another, his cheeks going a bit red as the airport staff around them raised their eyebrows at him.

“Need help?” Cloud called, taking off his jacket and placing it in the box on the line, ready to be inspected.

“No,” Squall grunted, finishing with his final belt. “Go on, then.”

Cloud winked at his boyfriend before going through the detectors, and as expected, he got through just fine. Even his earring didn’t beep, which was lucky.

He watched as Squall went through, and almost burst out laughing as his boyfriend got caught by the metal detectors, the distinct beep sound coming off the machines.

Once Squall actually walked over to him a few minutes later, he was bright red in the face. 

“My necklace,” he grumbled, and Cloud nodded. Of course. He never took Griever off, and it would make sense he’d forget to do so even for this. 

“Right,” Cloud murmured, accidentally laughing a bit as he tried to keep it in. He started helping Squall with putting his belts back, one after another on various different locations.

“Don’t talk anymore,” Squall groaned as he saw the smile on the other’s face. “Ever.”

“Ever? It’s gonna be a boring vacation,” Cloud smiled softly, tugging at one of the belts and placing a soft kiss on the other’s lips.

“I can think of a few things you can do without talking,” Squall murmured in his ear, his bad mood going away by the second.

Cloud pulled away to touch Squall’s necklace through his shirt. “Hmm.. should we get going?” he asked, and indeed, the staff was looking at them still, probably a little weirded out by the belt enthusiast and his boyfriend.

“Let’s go,” Squall agreed, wrapping an arm around Cloud as the two made their way towards their gate, Cloud still chuckling ever so often.


	31. “How do I even put up with you?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An unsuspecting Squall drinks the milk cola.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Setting: Modern AU, probably high school or college. Also, the idea of the milk cola comes from the Kingdom Hearts manga, where Aerith does indeed make milk cola, and where Squall does indeed drink it. Poor guy.

Squall was not suspecting it even in the slightest. Sure, he frowned as the way both Cloud and Tifa were snickering at him as he took the cup from the girl’s hands. But still, they said the drink came from Aerith of all people, so surely it couldn’t be anything bad.

And then he took a sip. It was _disgusting._

“What the fuck is this?!” he snapped, glaring at the two angrily, wiping his mouth as if to erase the taste. “That’s horrible."

“It’s Aerith’s special cola,” Tifa laughed a bit, shaking her head. “We didn’t think you’d fall for it. You’ve known her for years and still, you didn’t know about _that_?”

“What the hell’s Aerith’s special cola?” Squall rolled his eyes, peering into the mug.

“She has the weirdest taste buds in the world,” Cloud explained, trying his very hardest not to laugh as much as he really wanted to. “She mixes milk in with her cola.”

“... _Milk_?” Squall’s eyes went wide, and fair enough, it had been milk he had been tasting. “What’s wrong with her?”

Cloud and Tifa both shrugged. “The worst part, though, is the fact that she thinks that everyone else will like her weird, quirky drinks, too,” Tifa said. “Remember the time she decided that those who can’t choose between tea and coffee should just make both and pour them together?”

Squall made a face, placing the drink on the sink. “And you guys let me drink it,” his eyes fell on his boyfriend in particular. “Traitor.”

“I wanted to see the look on your face,” Cloud smiled innocently. “It was worth it.”

“How do I even put up with you?”

“I believe it has something to do with me being extremely sexy,” Cloud smirked.

“That’s the only thing you’ve got going for you. I hate you.” Of course he didn’t mean it, but he was annoyed at the blonde for ganging up on him like that.

“Hey, has anyone seen my cola?” they turned to the doorway, where Aerith was standing. “I left it on the coffee table.”

Cloud and Tifa both burst out laughing, causing Squall to groan loudly.

“Oh, no, did you guys prank Squall?” Aerith frowned.

“Maybe,” Tifa bit her lip. “But the cola’s still there, if you want it,” she pointed to the glass, and just as Aerith was about to do just that, Zack walked into the room, sweaty and breathless from his run.

“Hey, guys! I’m parched. Is there anything to drink- Excellent!” Zack walked right to the cup and downed it in one go, all of them staring, waiting for a reaction that never came.

“Alright, gonna hit the shower! Later!” Zack smirked, walking off without another word.

Aerith smiled happily. “I love him so much,” with that she rushed off, probably to follow him.

“Huh,” Cloud snorted, turning his eyes to Squall. “Why can’t we have that?”

“Because I hate you,” Squall snapped.

“No, you don’t,” both Tifa and Cloud replied, and Squall could only sigh. Fine, he didn’t. Not even a little bit.


	32. “I said get rid of it.”

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cloud gets a camera for his birthday, and puts it to good use.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Setting: Final Fantasy VII, Crisis Core.

Birthday presents were something new for Cloud. He had always received them from his mother, of course, but other than for her, not so much. Tifa always wished him a happy birthday back at the village, but it wasn’t like they were that close. And the rest of the kids, well, they didn’t really like him.

So, upon becoming a cadet at Shinra, slowly training for SOLDIER, Cloud had been very surprised when he’d received a birthday present from none other than Zack Fair, a SOLDIER 1st class he was becoming fast friends with.

And it wasn’t just any present. It was a very fancy polaroid camera, one he could use to “create memories that would last forever”, as Zack put it. Cloud hadn’t had much experience with a camera before (he hadn’t ever had a need for one), but he was using it as much as possible now.

He walked outside, thanking his lucky stars for having a day off on his birthday of all days. He took pictures of everything he found interesting. The trees, the plants, the buildings, the people walking by. He walked around for a while until he came across a familiar face.

Squall Leonhart was a cadet just like him, and while the two weren’t exactly close, they still got along better than Cloud did with the other members of the team. And there was something intriguing about Squall. Cloud couldn’t really put his finger around what that was, but he was willing to try to find out.

“Hey,” Cloud walked over to the brunette, who was sitting with his back against a tree. The blonde took a seat not too far from the other, earning a scowl from him. Squall seemed to like his solitude even more than Cloud did, and that was saying a lot.

“Hey,” was all Squall said before closing his eyes. Cloud watched him for a moment, the way his face shifted when he relaxed. He looked beautiful, despite the scar on his face. No. Maybe the scar was part of what made him beautiful.

Without really thinking about it, Cloud lifted up his camera and took a photo, the sound alerting Squall of his actions immediately.

“Did you just take a picture of me?” he asked, looking positively alarmed.

“Uh, yeah,” Cloud blushed ever so slightly, showing him the polaroid. “Zack got me a camera, I’m testing it out.”

“Well, test it on someone else. And get rid of the picture,” Squall tried to grab the photo, but Cloud pulled back, shaking his head.

“No. Don’t you wanna keep it? Send it to someone special? It’s a good photo,” Cloud eyed the picture for a moment, part of him wanting to keep it himself. But since Squall seemed to disgusted with him even taking the picture, it didn’t feel right. “A girl back home, maybe?”

“I haven’t got a girl back home. And I said get rid of it,” Squall snapped, moving closer ever so slightly, trying to pry the photo from the other’s hands.

“Come on,” Cloud laughed a bit, moving away and shoving the brunette off him. “It’s _just_ a photo.”

“I don’t like to be photographed.”

“Neither do I,” Cloud murmured, still holding up the photo. “But I don’t become a maniac when someone takes a picture of me.”

“Fine. Whatever,” Squall rolled his eyes, his usual apathetic attitude taking over. He leaned back against the tree. “Why would Zack give you a camera anyway?”

“It’s my birthday,” Cloud said without thinking, and instantly regretted it. He didn’t really want the other cadets to know. To him, it seemed like a cry for attention, which was the last thing he wanted.

“Really?” Squall looked at him, his angry demeanor gone for the time being. “Happy Birthday.”

“Uh… thanks,” Cloud murmured, standing up. He placed the photo on the ground next to Squall and walked off. It had been a stupid idea anyway, to try to bond with the brunette. Especially like this.

 

* * *

 

 

“Here,” the next morning, as Cloud was on his morning run, he felt someone run up to him, and then running alongside him. And in the same moment, a small black box was shoved in his hand.

“ _Wha_ …?” Cloud stopped, and Squall did as well. “What’s this?”

“Your birthday present. A day late, but I didn’t know it was your birthday, so…” Squall looked a bit awkward, but it was nothing compared to how Cloud was feeling.

“You didn’t have to get me anything.” He really didn’t have to. Cloud hadn’t even been sure if they were friends.

“Shut up, and open it,” Squall snapped, shifting uncomfortably.

Cloud did as told, opening the box to reveal a beautiful, silver earring with a wolf engraved on it. Somehow, Squall had noted both the fact that Cloud wore an earring in only one ear, and the fact that he liked wolves. He was touched, more than he could put into words.

“Squall, I-”, but before Cloud could express his gratitude, Squall ran off again, continuing his jog. But a part of Cloud thought that it almost looked like he was just running away from him.

Still, it was a great present.


	33. “They didn’t just find out. They already knew!”

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leon wants to know why Yuna, Rikku and Paine are laughing at him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Setting: KH-verse, post-Kingdom Hearts II.

“Do you know what the hell’s going on?” Leon demanded as he walked into his and his (secret) boyfriend, Cloud’s, room, where the blonde was sitting on the bed, reading a book.

“Evidently not, I’ve been here all morning,” Cloud murmured, not looking up from the book. “What happened?”

“Yuna, Rikku and Paine have been giggling at me all morning. I knew I should never have let those pixies into the committee in the first place,” Leon kicked off his shoes, sitting next to Cloud. “It’s annoying.”

“You’re irritated because you don’t know why they’re giggling at you,” Cloud finally closed his book, amusement clear on his face. “I really don’t think it’s such a big deal.”

“You don’t know what it is, either.”

“No. But I’m sure that whatever it is-,” Cloud sighed when he saw Leon frown. “Fine,” he grabbed his phone from the bedside table and dialed Aerith’s number.

“What are you doing?” Leon asked suspiciously.

“I’m asking-, oh, hey, Aerith. So, what’s been going on at the committee today? Why are the girls bullying Leon?” Cloud snorted as he saw Leon shake his head. He clearly didn’t enjoy this, but he knew it would bug his boyfriend until he found out.

“ _Huh_ ,” Cloud listened to whatever it was that Aerith had to say. “Well, you can tell Yuffie to shut the fuck up in the future, okay? Thanks,” with that, he hung up, tossing the phone across the bed. “Don’t worry.”

“What?”

“Yuffie told them you and I were sleeping together,” Cloud got up, stretching. “That’s why they were giggling.”

Leon’s eyes went wide. “ _What_? How did Yuffie find out?! How did anyone find out?”

“They didn’t _just_ find out. They already knew,” Cloud sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Apparently they’ve known for months.”

“But…”

“According to Aerith, we’re not as subtle as we think we are. Or as quiet,” Cloud smirked. “Is it really such a big deal?”

Leon paused, settling back down on the bed. “I guess not. I thought they’d be laughing at something much worse.”

“Because you have so many skeletons in your closet,” Cloud walked back over to Leon, grabbing him by the front of his shirt and kissing him passionately. “Relax, will you? They’re all your friends. They’re not laughing at you.”

“Well, technically, they _were_.”

Cloud rolled his eyes. “I gotta go, I promised to do some repair work for Cid. I’ll have a word with Yuffie as I do, teach her a thing or two about gossiping.”

“Cloud,” Leon called after him, watching as the blonde stopped by the door. “I don’t mind people knowing. About us. It’s kind of nice.”

Cloud gave him a small smile. “Yeah, it is. See ya,” with that, he was gone, and Leon was left on the bed, feeling significantly more relaxed. Maybe having a boyfriend who was there to reassure was a nice thing after all.


	34. “You’re not as quiet as you think you are.”

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cloud and Squall get into a fight, and Aerith proceeds to fix it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Setting: Modern AU, college.

“What were you and Cloud fighting about last night?” Aerith asked, sipping her tea as she watched her friend curiously. They were standing outside their classroom, waiting to go inside.

“What?” Squall frowned. “We weren’t fighting.”

“You’re not as quiet as you think you are,” Aerith countered. And it would make sense how she would know that. Zack and Cloud were roommates at college, and since Aerith was dating Zack and Cloud was dating Squall, it would make sense they would spend time together at the apartment. And they had, just the previous night.

And Cloud and Squall had been fighting.

“We just…,” Squall shrugged, finishing his cup of coffee and tossing the empty cup in the recycling bin. “We had a disagreement.”

“Uh-huh, a fight,” Aerith nodded. “About?”

“Why not just wait for Cloud to tell you, or for Zack to tell you when Cloud tells him?” Squall snapped. He really wasn’t one for being interrogated like this, especially in the mornings. Especially after a night fighting with his boyfriend.

“Because I want to know _now._ ”

“We got in a fight because I didn’t want him to come with me to see my family this weekend,” the man shrugged once again. “It’s no big deal.”

“Why wouldn’t you want him to come with you? You’ve been dating like… three years. Don’t you think it’s time?” Aerith asked as the two walked into the lecture hall once the doors were opened, taking their seats in the back as usual.

“Because I’m not ready.”

“Bullshit. You’re lying,” Aerith finished her tea and smirked. “You always look down when you lie.”

“Whatever,” Squall got out his notebook and pencil, determined to ignore the girl who kept glaring at him, waiting for more information. “I don’t wanna talk about it.”

“Did Cloud do something wrong?”

“No-”

“Then what is it?” Aerith grabbed onto his arm and shook it. “You know it must’ve taken a lot out of Cloud to even admit he wanted to go with you! Why not let him?!”

“Because my dad’s a moron, okay?” Squall finally caved, giving Aerith a quick glance before turning his eyes back to the paper. “He’s nothing like me. He babbles constantly, he has no sense of privacy and no filter when he talks, and he gets leg cramps when he’s nervous!”

Aerith sat there, a bit too stunned to say a word for a moment. And when she did, it was a snort, and then a laugh. “Oh, my god, _that’s_ the reason?”

“What did you expect?”

“Some bullshit about you not being able to commit to Cloud or something, or you not trusting him. Not this.”

“Of course I trust him,” Squall frowned. “He… he probably thinks the same as you do, right?”

“I would assume so. You know how he is,” Aerith pointed towards the other end of the hall, where Cloud and Zack were standing, talking about something. “I suggest you tell him the truth. Because whether or not your dad’s a moron, isn’t it better for Cloud to know that than to think you don’t trust him?” With that she stood up, and without hesitation, walked down to where the two men were standing.

Squall sighed, watching as Aerith shoved Cloud towards him. He hated these kinds of conversations, and he partly hated himself for not even considering that this might’ve been the blonde’s conclusion. He needed to explain.

“Hey,” he said once Cloud was within hearing distance. “Can we talk?”

“We have like two minutes before the lecture starts,” Cloud sat down, shifting uncomfortably.

“I’m sorry. About last night,” Squall whispered. He definitely wanted no one to be eavesdropping on this conversation. “It wasn’t about you.”

“Then what was it about?” Cloud asked.

“My dad. I’m kind of… embarrassed of him,” he knew it sounded ridiculous, it sounded like an excuse, but it was the truth. “He’s… an idiot. I didn’t want you to judge me.”

“Squall,” Cloud’s tone sounded mildly amused, but he was simply smiling as Squall dared to look at him. “My dad left me and my mom when I was really young. I have no business making judgments about your father. Besides, idiot sounds interesting. I’d like to meet him.”

“You would?” The smile on Squall’s face probably made him look like an idiot himself, but he didn’t care.

“I would,” and that was the end of the conversation, and the fight. And Squall felt instantly better.

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! So, this is going to be a small project of mine for the next few weeks, to get these fics published. I really like those drabble/prompt challenges found on tumblr, but I've never done one, until now. I'm just literally taking the sentences suggested in the particular drabble and turning them into short Strifehart fics. These are probably not very good, and probably not very interesting, but I wanted to try it, so I'm trying it. As this is going to be a 94-chapter project, any kind of feedback would be appreciated for motivation and such!
> 
> Anyway, here is the original post about the drabble challenge. I only took, well, 94 of these, as I said:
> 
> https://prompt-bank.tumblr.com/post/146902678083/drabble-challenge-1-150


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